Memoirs of an Imagination- The chronicle of transformation
by Queen Of The Chens
Summary: Sequel to the first chronicle. Lessa receives a tip- of from her brother regarding Marissa, leading her to travel to the world of dragon ball z, where an evil plot is brewing. She befriends the heroes and villains of dbz, but will she find Marissa? (Piccolo does not have male parts in the manga but he does in this story because i wanted to explore that option)
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

There are waves washing the beach, sand becoming sodden with its drink.

All is calm, all is quiet.

I sigh along with the waves, thinking. Just thinking.

I have been given my peace, and that is all i could ask for.

I wonder how i changed.

At first it was slight. Then it was huge. But the darkness still taints my heart.

I want revenge, and revenge is anything but good.

She is destruction, and i am war. For war cannot happen without two opposing sides; and i have dragged the innocent mortals into it.

Love, joy, feelings that do not belong on the battlefield. Yet that is where i found them.

The days are passing by. Day and night taking its share of time.

The blades of grass run after each other. Laughing joyfully with the leaves that fall on them.

It's such a beautiful planet really.

Like earth but untouched by destruction.

It would be a shame if something were to happen to it.


	2. Chapter One- A tip-off

Chapter One- A tip-off

"_Couldn't sleep again huh?_" Junior looked at me knowingly before turning to watch the night from the window. I sighed.

"_No, and i think it's upsetting cherry_" I placed my hands on the windowsill, wishing wistfully on a star that i wasn't tormented by these nightmare's. Her face in my dreams, that's all it ever was.

Whenever i awoke, my fists would be clenched, and my anger would reach an unpredictable level.

"_Nah it's not your fault. He understands, we all do"_

_"Thanks junior"_

_"Hey no problem_" I looked across, noticing his fingers were entwined within each other.

"_So, how come you couldn't sleep this time?_" This was the third night in a row that we had woke up and wandered the corridors at 3am, finding company in each other. He told me it was just insomnia but i sensed there was more to it than that.

"_Mmm..can i tell you something?_" I raised an eyebrow.

"_Of course you can_" He brought his hand to his face.

"_Well you see...the thing is...i'm gay_" I raised my other eyebrow.

"_Is that all? I already knew that, actually. Everyone does"_

_"W-what!? B-but how!_" I leant forward, smiling as i caught sight of the glittering moon.

"_I saw you and ragman the other day when i was crawling through the air vents. Wasn't the prettiest of sights"_

_"What were you doing in the air vents!_" I blushed at the memory.

"_Well...you probably don't want to know... Anyway, i think it's real cute about you and ragman. Strange, but cute_" His mouth gaped openly, completely speechless.

_'I can't tell if its from imagining what you were doing in the air vents or from the fact that everyone knows about their supreme buttsex_"

_'Well if a particular 'someone' hasn't been babbling then he shouldn't even have an idea of what i was doing in the air vents'_

_'Well good for him, i sure wish i didn't know what you were doing up there'_

_'You weren't even there!'_

_'Serquet was though. She told me all about it'_

_'Goddam it serquet'_

_'Don't blame me. I doubt i was the only one who noticed_' My mouth became a thin line.

_'Your so exasperating! The pair of you!'_

_"Um, lessa?"_

_"Huh? Oh sorry junior. What were you saying?_" He seemed to have regained his composure, his mouth was closed at least.

His eyes dulled.

"_Let's just go to bed_" I yawned at the word bed. Getting even an hour of sleep would do me the world of good, then in the morning; i would go see cortex for a solution to my nightmares. He was bound to have one.

"_Sure thing, we can talk about your buttsex in the morning_" I winked.

"_Hey!_" He protested.

"_Calm yourself will you? We don't want any anal injury's_"

"_Oh ha ha_" I laughed as we walked, dodging the mock punches he threw at me.

The banter was what made it all worth it.

I rapped my knuckles on the door for what was the third time already.

"_Come in_" he called.

"_Finally_" i muttered before pushing through the wooden door. I was too full of food to be annoyed though. Waffles and bacon really did the trick.

"_Yes?_" He asked, barely looking up from his desk.

"_Nina said you wanted to see me?_" He looked up.

"_Oh lessa, yes i've got something to talk about with you; but sit down first_" He gestured towards the only swiveling chair that was in front of his desk. Even after a month he was still formal with the lot of us when we had the time to grace his office with our presence.

I plonked myself down, already feeling nauseous as the chair began to swing from side to side. Maybe sitting wasn't the greatest idea.

"_Well.._" His hands left the keyboard of his laptop. *Brr Brr*

"_Oh, excuse me a second_" I leaned back in the chair, slightly impatient as his gaze flew back to his now buzzing laptop.

Then he looked puzzled.

"_It seems to be a skype call?"_

_"What?_" I leaned forward over the desk, trying to peer at the screen through his shoulders.

"_Unknown? You must have a secret admirer. Cortex you sly dog, what've you not been telling us_" He chewed his lip thoughtfully.

"_Actually lessa..i think it's for you_" Now it was my turn to look puzzled.

"_But it's your laptop? Why the hell would someone skype call me on your laptop? In fact, why do you even have skype?"_

_"Just answer it for heaven's sake"_

_"No, you answer it!_" He glared at me, then thrust the laptop at me. My hand sliding over the accept call button.

_"Lessa?_" Damn, it just had to be him.

"_Fuck you cortex_" I threw him a contemptuous look before facing the screen. It was dark for some reason, but i could make out his features through the darkness.

"_Set.."_

"_Good. It is you_" I narrowed my eyes to slits. Swooping my gaze back and forth between him and cortex.

"_Let me guess. The two of you have been conspiring together?_" Set's mouth twisted.

"_Not quite sister of mine. More to the point, i have some interesting information you might want to hear"_

_"Interesting you say?_" I tapped my fingers impatiently on the desk.

"_Hmm, let's just say. Catini meadow is the place to be in about an hour or so"_

_"A portal?"_

_"Yes_" My impatience dissipated rapidly and instead my excitement spiked.

The screen clicked and the call ended.

"_Well don't say bye or anything will you. Jeez, so rude!"_

_"Catini meadow huh_" Cortex seemed to be preoccupied and started ruffling through a stack of papers on the desk. I folded my arms and watched him.

"_What kind of a name is catini meadow"_

_"It's actually a place on this planet. Quite pretty too_" He stopped shuffling the papers and took on a dreamy look.

"_It's where i met my wife, nina's mother. Oh she was so beautiful. Such a shame.._" I rolled my eyes. I didn't have time for this.

"_Where is it?"_

_"About five miles east from here, you can't miss it_" I jumped to action immediately.

"_Okay bye!_" I leapt onto the window sill, calculating the direction i should jump in. He shook his head, coming out of shock.

"_What!? Where are you going!?"_ I gave him an incredulous look.

"_Well..what am i supposed to say to cherry!"_

_"Tell him if he cheats on me, he's dead!_" i yelled over the roar of fresh wind in my ears, then fell forwards; the breeze carrying me east. Then i remembered i'd forgotten to ask him for a solution. Damn.

"_She's insane..but i sure wouldn't want to be cherry if he cheated on her_" He sighed but smiled all the same.


	3. Chapter 2- A new world

Chapter two- A new world

In a distant, peaceful world. Where the grass was greener than any shade of green and pink flamingo type animals milled happily in the fields. A disturbance rippled through the breeze.

As the never-ending space ripped open, I slammed forwards onto my knees, getting a great view of the grass I had just landed in. I waited til the taste of sick and blood left my mouth before raising my head. Beautiful scenery met my eyes. A shining sun casting its rays among the dancing grass, a playful breeze flicking of the feathers of pink flamingos sun-bathing in the field. A clear blue sky with small mountains stretching their tips to reach them. If it wasn't for the flamingos I would have thought I was still on planet moonsky, the planet cortex and the others had taken to inhabiting. Reviewing the scenery had given time for my body to recover its strength and I willed myself to stand.

All was serene before a meteor blasted its way across the sky, crashing forcefully to the ground a good few fields away. I couldn't see it from here, but as a vice gripped my insides, a bad feeling forced me to run.

It had landed in a barren wasteland, with the typical balls of dust and weeds floating around like you saw in Texan style movies. It was silent again, but an eerie silence this time. A huge crater with a round pod inside its depth being the main cause. Lying flat on my stomach, I peered over the cliff edge I stood on, nearly falling of in surprise when I saw a green creature on the wasteland below. Stood up like a man, it had green skin with patches of pink on the muscles, green pointy ears and a white turban on its head. Its clothing was the darkest of blues and it was stood stock still, gazing thoughtfully into the sky. The look of intense thought curdled as there was a sudden blast of air and a man dropped from the sky. And it was no ordinary man either. Then again, I had no idea what species this planet accommodated, let alone what planet this was. He was huge, with bulging muscles. The green creature had a look of dread before re-arranging his features into an impassive look.

"Excuse me for dropping in, I'm hoping to find a man named kakarot, I thought you were him" The huge guy was first to speak, with what seemed to be a tail, clenched around his waist amour. He looked like a warrior and I felt sorry for the person he was looking for.

"Well you thought wrong, now turn around and get out of here before I get angry" The green man was going for the strategy of pretending he wasn't terrified, and he wasn't pulling it of well.

"Someone's having a bad day"

"Believe me, you have no idea. Now get lost"

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you"

The warrior then lifted a finger to a piece of green plastic covering one eye. It beeped in response before flashing strange looking numerals.

"Power level 322, I can tell your not from this planet but you'd be a fool to attack me with such an..insufficient power"

Power level? What the hell was that?

"It's the way they measure someone's strength in this universe, usually determined by the amount of energy, also known as ki in their aura"

"Melanie?" I whispered in disbelief, turning my attention away from the men to see my spirit guide crouched beside me. I hadn't even noticed she was here.

"Well hi to you to" I rolled my eyes, trust her to turn up now. I hadn't seen her in days since she declared she had some 'business' in the summerland.

Turning my attention back to the men, I watched with interest as the green creature growled, slipping into a defensive stance.

"Now listen to me, you came here, I have no intention of starting a fight"

"Well I do" Any look of not caring the green man had had before was entirely gone now, and I was filled with dread for him. I shifted onto my knees, prepared to jump down and intervene before he got hurt; but a strong tug on my arm stopped me.

"Mel, let me go" I struggled but her grip was strong.

"No, just watch how it pans out"

"Yeah, that green guys gonna end up in a pan all right, he'll be fried and eaten before you know it" but I sat down on my haunches all the same.

He growled again and one of his arm muscles bulged and strained as something appeared to be traveling down it.

Within seconds a burst of golden light flew out at the warrior, blowing up a huge amount of dust in the breeze.

I rubbed my eyes as the smoke cleared, sighing as I was sure it was over.

Then there was a throaty chuckle as the smoke cleared, revealing the warrior to be hovering just centimeters above the ground.

"Impressive, you actually managed to singe my leg hair, but allow me to demonstrate a more effective attack" The green creature gasps.

"It's one of my favorites, I call it a double sundae" he lifts an arm as the plastic beeps and more numerals with a locked on circle appear.

The warrior frowns.

"Well I guess its your lucky day green man" The warrior says before pressing another button and with another blast of air, he was gone.

"Did he just?..did he just fly!?" I stared in utter disbelief.

The green man fell to his knees and hands; panting heavily

"I don't believe it, I hit him full force and he didn't even flinch. This guy could be a problem."

As Melanie's grip released, I slid down the cliff, landing on my feet as always. The green man looked up in shock, raising his hand in defensive.

"Are you okay?" I asked gently, raising my hands to show I wasn't looking for a fight.

He gave me a strange look.

"What do you care" I frowned.

"Well jeez, I was just concerned that was all. You never had anyone be nice to you before or something?" I huffed as he stood up brushing the dust of his knees.

Now he looked even more confused.

"I-im sorry, I uh, didn't mean to offend you or anything" I smiled.

"It's okay, but less of the hostile if you don't mind. Who the hell was that guy?"

"I don't know" he looked darkly towards the still clear sky. "But im gonna go after him"

"Are you insane!? He nearly had you for dinner and now you want to just present yourself to him?" If the guy had eyebrows I can tell one would have been raised right about now.

"I'm not going to..present myself to him as you so blatantly call it. It's more like information gathering. This guy could be a threat"

"Could? Pfft, is a threat more like" I muttered.

"Well if you don't mind, im going now" he said, pushing a cape that I hadn't noticed before around his shoulders. It was white, just like the turban.

I placed both hands firmly on my hips.

"Well then, I'm coming with you" he looked me over before saying

"Do you even know how to fly?" Fly? Oh not that again.

"Um..well, no" he sighed.

"I don't really have time to teach you. Just feel your energy and push in down into your feet, so that it pushes you through the air. Once you've done that, just keep it like that at a steady pace"

"Um, okay" I screwed up my face as I tried to feel the energy coursing through my body, willing it to go to my feet. As I lifted into the air, I closed my eyes. I never did go much on heights.

"That's it" he called before raising himself up to my level. I opened my eyes to see him in front of me, and seeing him there, just made it a lot easier to comprehend. So as long as I just kept my eyes on him..

"How do you even know where to find him?" I dared to ask, as his ears swayed in the wind.

"By his energy, can't you sense it?" Now that I come to think of it, I actually could. It was a malovent type of energy and really stuck out from the rest of the energy on this world.

"Let's go then" I said with confidence. And we shot of through the air, a sense of freedom as my hair whipped from side to side.

"You never said, what's your name" he yelled over the rush of air.

"It's Lessa, and yours?"

"Piccolo"

The warrior had obviously found himself some new friends, or enemies in this case. You couldn't blame the victims though. They were terrified. A small boy in a yellow tunic, just moments away from crying. He clutched the leg of a black haired guy in an orange jumpsuit at the front of the group, who was evidently the target of the warrior. Three other insignificant people stood behind them. A blue haired woman, an old guy and baldie with the jumpsuit. Piccolo had hidden us behind the palm trees on this tiny island with one house, looking at the people in disdain as he did his research-gathering. We hadn't missed much, the warrior landing had been distraction enough for us to hide. Now we just had to listen.

The plastic beeped as the warrior sized up the leader of the group. Chuckling as the numerals assembled into something he could read.

"So we meet again at last. You've grown up. I recognize you though kakarot"

"Kakarot?" The leader of the group looked curiously at the stranger.

"That's right, that's your name"

"His name?" The blue woman had decided to speak up

"Who is this? Must be nuts" The baldie in the matching jumpsuit waved his hand dismissively like the stranger was a drunk. And piccolo shook his head as if I knew I wanted to warn him.

"Kakarot, what have you been doing here all these years, your mission was to terminate all life on this planet, why haven't you carried it out?" The one called 'Kakarot' was now filled with disbelief.

"Listen mister, I don't know who you are but you've obviously got the wrong guy. Shoo, shoo" Baldie was getting more stupid by the second, flicking his hands forward in a shooing movement.

"Krillin watch out!" but it was too late. The tail came loose and smacked baldie through the house, the hole making a big improvement to the island décor.

"Krillin!"

"I don't believe it, he's got a tail to!"

"That's good, I wondered how long it would take for you to recognize me"

"I've never seen you before" With that, The woman tugged the small boy from the leader's leg. It seemed a fight was brewing.

"Kakarot, you mean to tell me you have no idea who I am?"

" I don't know who this kakarot person is that your looking for but im not him, my name's goku" The warrior took a step back.

"What happened to you.." The small boy struggled out of the woman's grip and rushed back to his father.

"Daddy!"

"Kakarot, tell me, did you ever suffer a serious injury to the head"

"What?"

"When you were a kid did you ever hit your head?!"

"Did you hear me!?" Clearly, like me and piccolo, warrior here was losing his patience.

"Yeah. Idon't rememeber it very well but your right, I did hit my head when I was a child…..i still have a scar where it happened"

"You stupid fool, you forgot"

"I forgot what! Tell me!" There was a gleam in the old guy's glasses, and his thoughts were clouded, like he'd had something to hide.

"Goku..theres something your grandfather once told me that I think you should know" The old guy removed his glasses and cleared his throat as if to begin a story.

"Long ago, your grandpa gohan was walking along in the woods when he came across a crater in the ground that had been recently made. When he examined it more closely, it appeared to be some sort of spaceship, and there you were lying in a little round pod. Gohan tried to take care of you but you were wild, downright uncontrollable, and unusually powerful for a baby. You wanted nothing to do with gohan's kindness. Then one day there was a terrible accident, you fell into a deep ravine, and badly injured your head. Your grandpa feared he lost you but somehow, miraculosy, you survived. Yes, any other child would have died but you survived and from that day on, you became a happy loving boy"

"I'm..from outer space?" Piccolo gasped quietly, as if he had expected anything but this.

"Yes"

"Well that would explain a lot, so you think goku has some connection with this guy?"

"Okay, you've got my attention, now tell us who you are" The leader was regaining his confidence.

"Well I wasn't expecting to give a history lesson when I came here today, but alright, I'll tell you everything. After all, you will be working for me from now on and I do like my sub-ordinates to be well informed" The boards of the house cracked as the bald guy finally climbed out of his resting place.

"Hey krillin, you alright?"

"Yeah but be careful goku, this guys not..normal" Well, that much was obvious. Goku nods.

"Believe me I know, I could sense that from the minute he got here, even now, something about him turns my stomach"

"Such harsh words, careful, your more like me than you realize. You were born on the planet vegeta, you're a space warrior, just like me" A cruel grin crept along the warriors face.

"Allow me to introduce myself, im raditz, your big brother"


	4. Chapter 3- Mutual Gain

Chapter Three- Mutual gain

"Goku has a..brother!?"

"Goku, he looks like you"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Yeah, that's right, what the heck is goku doing on earth if he's from another planet" Raditz chuckled.

"Simple, we sent him here. Kakarot was given specific orders to wipe this planet of its current inhabitants. You see, we saiyans are sort of like planet brokers. We scour space for planets that would bring a high price of the galactic market. Once we find them, we send our warriors there to purge them of any life and get them ready for sale. It's a very profitable business and we take great pride for being efficient in our work. For example, if we discover a planet of strong inhabitants, we send a team of adult warriors to wipe them out, but for planets full of weaklings like this one, we send our babies; who are generally sufficient to carry out the order"

"If what you say is true then you saiyans are an abomination. Space pirates, that's what you are" Goku seemed slightly enraged, but his expression was one of complete realization, as if he had finally learnt the truth about a past he never knew. I knew the feeling to a certain extent, I had always felt there were still many things I knew not of in my past.

Would I ever feel the feeling of completing the puzzle?

"How can you send little babies into space all on their own" The blue-haired woman was horrified, hugging the small child for her own comfort, and maybe as if to prevent that horror from happening to the boy.

"Trust me, there more than capable of looking after themselves..well most of them, Kakarot, you're a disgrace, you could have easily wiped out every living thing on this planet by yourself, if you hadn't of forgotten your orders it would have only taken you a year or to at most, especially considering this planet has a nice big moon" Looking to my side, I noticed piccolo swing a sideways glance at the moon. As if he was suspicious of its pale appearance during the light of day.

"Yeah, let me guess, I was probably supposed to blow that up too" Goku rolled his eyes.

"You fool! You know as well as I do it's the key to unlocking your full potential. I'm sure at least once in your life you've looked at the full moon"

"I don't know what your talking about" but the woman and two males certaintly did. Their fear was palpable as they flicked their gazes to and from each other. I wondered how much this new planet was hiding. Was it like human earth? Where lies and deceit were as common as a cold?

"W-what happened to your tail Kakarot!?"

"He had a tail?" piccolo muttered under his breath.

"Huh? My tail…why?" Confidence was now suspicion.

"Answer me, now!"

"It was removed permanently..a long time ago"

"Do you have any idea of what you've done, your true power is gone now, you've lost the ability to transform at the full moon. Now I can see how you can be on good terms with these weaklings"

"Listen, this is my home and my friends, so I don't care what you say I am, and you sure don't seem like any brother I'd want to have. My name is goku and I live here, now leave us alone!" I underestimated the strength of goku, as he forcefully shoved his black boots into the sand.

"So you want to be left alone do you, well it's a shame your far to valuable for that, you see three years ago, our home planet met with a meteor and our entire race was wiped out with the exception of those on missions. That leaves just four of us including you. We recently found a very nice planet that would bring a high price, but it's a little too big for just three of us to cover. That's where you come in. So, what do you think, are you excited?"

"I've heard enough, I'd rather die before joining a gang of pirates like you"

"Intresting…" His eyes flickered to the small boy and the feeling of dread was back in full force. I wasn't sure why I cared about the turnout of this situation. It wasn't like it was anything to do with Marissa, and instinctively I felt she wasn't even on this planet, and I wasn't just going on my past experience either. Although it wouldn't be the first time I'd been dragged to a planet without obvious meaning.

"I've been meaning to ask you Kakarot, I couldn't help but notice your son has a tail"

"Leave him out of this"

"I'll decide that. If you wont join us, I'll just have to settle for taking the boy in your place"

"we'll see" Goku braced his muscles, preparing to square of with his brother who stalked forward as if time was at his dispense.

Without warning, in the blink of an eye. Raditz was gone with a wisp of air and then re-appeared directly in front of Goku. As Goku's features barely had time to shape in shock, Raditz landed a devastating blow to his gut.

He was down like a shot. Helpless as the child's uncle plucked the boy away from the woman's arm. Because it wasn't like she could put up a fight. Her energy was defeatist.

"Like I said, im taking your son, if you ever want to see him alive again I suggest you listen closely. I'll give you one day to think about my offer. So when you decide to join us and you will. I want you to kill one hundred humans and line them up here on the beach as prove of your loyalty, I'll be back tomorrow for a head count"

"Daddy i'm scared!" and with a gust of wind, the boy and his uncle were gone just like that.

Well fuck. If that wasn't an interesting thing to watch I didn't know what was.

Another sideways glance showed Piccolo was already on the move before he even let the people recover.

But I could be sure that despite the tension in his pink muscles, he wouldn't fight a downed man.

As we left the privacy of the palm trees and drifted onto the sand; Goku forced himself to stand with a pained expression. His look said it all, he expected a threat.

"Whoa, chill out there Goku, we ain't here for a fight" I waved my hands in surrender. His muscles relaxed briefly as he struggled and failed to recognize me. Which was obvious, we'd never met.

"We're not?" Piccolo turned towards me, with an almost playful look in his eyes. Almost..i could tell he was not familiar with using sarcasm.

"You're not?" Goku relaxed further as the other three gathered close to him.

"Then what are you here for?"

"An alliance" Piccolo was all serious now, and I let my eyes wander round the expanse of the small island. It was going to be the last time I saw it.

"An..alliance?" What was he, a parrot?

"Yes, we saw what transpired between you and your sibling. He's a threat to me to, so it makes sense we join and get rid of the threat. It's mutual gain.

And don't worry, afterwards we can go back to hating each other. I will have rule over this pathetic world of humans"

Well that was something new. A bad guy huh? Who knew.

"Right, of course. You had a bad run-in with him to huh?" Beside me, Piccolo started to get antsy.

"That's none of your business. Let's just get this over and done with so I can hate your guts in peace" Goku smiled slightly and brushed back a spike of hair.

"Same old Piccolo..Let's go then. But first, who's the lovely female?" I turned away from the view, blushing slightly at the compliment.

"The name's Lessa" I stuck out my glove clad hand and Goku took it firmly.

"Lovely to meet you Lessa"

Apparently not everyone on this planet could fly. Although in retrospective terms, Goku was flying, just not with his energy. Instead he stood upon a small yellow cloud. That only just matched the speed of mine and piccolo's flying.

We'd been flying for long enough to talk, with Goku asking me who I was, how I got here etc. I had nothing to hide, so I told him the gist of it; with him promising to keep an eye out for Marissa. Piccolo hadn't said a word for the entire journey, but had occasionally pointed downwards to make sure we were on the right track.

Now though, he slowed. A familiar wasteland below. Ah, the scene of the crime as it were. The pod still in its crater with Raditz sat across a patch of grass just meters away, filing his teeth with an animal bone.

Well, at least someone was enjoying the planet.

"Alright, we split up and charge in" Piccolo growled, clenching his arms tight.

"Whoa there, hang tight a sec. I hate it when people decide to split up. And we ain't got the advantage of surprise cause that green piece of plastic seems to detect power levels"

"She's right, we'll stay together then" The three of us floated down forcefully since the need for discretion was a lost cause.

Raditz looked up lazily, gnawing on the bone with a small smile stretching the animalistic mouth of his.

"That was quick, and you brought some friends I see" I didn't like the way his eyes lingered on me, and I could feel Goku and Piccolo tense up beside me.

"I want my son back"

"Have you decided to join me then?"

"Where is he!" Raditz frowned then pointed into the crater.

"I'm going to guess by the hostility of your friends that your going to be stupid enough to fight me. Very well, you may see your son one last time" Goku sprinted to the edge of the crater, hovering above the ground by centimeters to peer into the pod.

Inside the boy could be heard crying.

"It's an awful waste though. You're valuable you know"

"It's alright Gohan, I'm gonna get you out" Goku called down the crater, touching down gently on the ground.

Raditz sighed before pressing his green detector, the strange numbers crossing the screen and his view passed over the three of us.

"320, 340, 350..is that all? The three of you together barely make a thousand"

"Is that so" Piccolo growled again. Throwing of his white turban and cape to reveal green antennae. They smacked to the floor with a loud thump.

"Wow piccolo, you wore weighted training clothes?" Goku grinned as he too started stripping. His top, wristbands and boots all dented the shallow grassy field.

"Of course" Another press of that green plastic.

"You know that 100 doesn't make a difference right? Your power is far to insufficient to even be compared with mine"

"We'll see" It was goku who charged first, and Piccolo next. Their speed had increased with the stripping, evidently. There were hit before I even moved.

Raditz had flipped out both legs, kicking them to the ground. I willed my legs to run forward, shielding my torso with my arms, preparing to do an uppercut once I was close enough. But he was fast, and as soon as my arm swung, he backhanded me to the ground.

We sprung up panting, and Raditz just stood there all composed, his smirk getting wider.

This could be trouble.

"Alright, we attack together this time"

"No! we can't beat him physically!" Piccolo snarled and Goku nodded.

"Right, then we all attack with our energy at once, but from different positions. He's fast, but there's way he can counter all our energy from different sides"

I felt rather than saw Piccolo's look of concern.

"Don't worry, how hard can it be? I just push the energy out of my hands right?" Piccolo didn't look amused but it would have to do. Maybe I could do my white fire attack.

Oh, that would be a bad idea. Last time, it drained me of all energy. If I missed…

Well I didn't want to think of it. A slightly weaker attack would have to do, with all three of us attacking we should easily overpower him.

"On the count of three"

"Three..two"

"One!" And Goku and Piccolo quickly flanked Raditz's sides, their muscles straining as energy traveled down them.

I slipped behind him, raising my arms and feeling a tingly feeling as my energy traveled through the sinewy muscles of my body. It was an unpleasant feeling to say the least.

At the same time, all our energy, red, yellow and blue; mixed into a greeny red, blowing up the ground all around Raditz. Smoke blew up and I silently cheered as there was no way he could have survived that.

I was about to join the two when suddenly,

"Watch out!" A yellow beam of energy burst from the smoke, forcing Goku and Piccolo to fly upwards. But it didn't stop and it gave chase.

"Move!" I yelled, blasting another beam of red energy from my hands into the yellow beam. The beam was unconcerned however and just absorbed my energy.

"Well shit" Goku did a cartwheel in the air at the last second, moving out the beam's range as it rushed upwards, but Piccolo wasn't so lucky. The beam cutting right through his arm before the green pile of muscle hit the ground.

"Look's like the green man has been disarmed" Raditz appeared from the dust, laughing in a way only a villain could do.

"That's not even funny" I crossed my arms, giving him an evil look.

"Of course not, you weaklings wouldn't appreciate good humor"

"Hey Piccolo, you okay?"

"Yeah, just fan-fucking tastic"

"Hey, you actually know some swear words" And that was the last thing I said before bulky arms wrapped around my chest, collapsing my lungs inside. All air was crushed out of me.

"How do you like this for humor, female"

"It's terrible..like your face" I choked out what was possibly my worst comeback in the history of my short life, but it did the job. Enraging him and focusing his sole attention on me.

Goku caught my eye from the air, and placed his arms together, one in front of the other.

"Ka me, ha me ha!" And Raditz's grip had barely released me before the white energy hit him hard. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath like a fish out of water.

Again there was a chuckle, a sound I now hated, and I lifted my head to see Raditz charge up, and slam his fists into Goku's back.

He was down like a shot. And Piccolo was still on the ground clutching his bleeding stump of a left arm.

Well wasn't this going great.

"Who should I finish of first then? I think I'll make sure all your death's are slow and painful" Great, I had always imagined dying like this..not.

Like a predator, he stepped forward slowly, the gleam in his eyes the same as a cat about to play with its food.

And then, out of nowhere, there was a flash and a crack; and,

"Stop beating up my daddy!"


	5. Chapter 4- Sacrifice

Chapter Four- Sacrifice

As debris from the space-pod scattered everywhere, an orange energy blazed around the outline of Gohan, who glared at Raditz. He was trembling, but it wasn't fear, it was rage.

As I used my arms to push my chest of the ground, Gohan flew forwards, smacking right into the chest plate armor.

Raditz's face turned from shock to anger as pieces of it cracked apart, leaving a huge dent smack in the middle.

"Gohan?" Goku regained consciousness. The energy died down and Gohan rubbed his head in confusion.

"Daddy?" It was like, he didn't remember..

Raditz sure did though, if that pissed look was anything to go by.

"Gohan, run!" Raditz was up in seconds, his eyes firmly set on the now sniveling boy.

" . " and with one swipe of his arm, Gohan was whacked halfway across the field.

And I don't think he's finished either. I have to do something, but this damn body is to weak. I strained each muscle, checking how much energy I could gather. It was all or nothing, this was the only attack I would be able to do for a while.

"Don't hurt him!" Goku pleaded and I took one last look at Piccolo clutching his stump before I shakily stood. Swaying slightly, I hovered about ten centimeters of the ground, watching the contours of Raditz's back as he stomped towards Gohan.

"Okay, I can do this" My body begrudgingly glowed with the white fire I was summoning, getting brighter and brighter until my body seared with a white hot fever. My hands lifted themselves, knowing what they had to do.

"WHITE FIRE!" i screamed and as the energy shot out from me I collapsed to the floor with black vision. The ground where raditz should have been exploded and I heard Piccolo gasp.

There was silence for a few moments.

"It's not over!" Piccolo warned. It's not? But I can't fight anymore. I slumped to the ground on my side, my vision returning enough to see the legs of Raditz facing towards me.

I sighed deeply. At least I had brought the kid some time.

"You bitch! Your going to pay for that!" The legs got closer and closer until I could see the frazzled hairs on them, curling black at the ends. What a wonderful last sight.

"No!" Goku yelled and I saw a flash of orange as another pair of legs joined Raditz's.

"Goku?" I panted for breath, ignoring the throbbing as I raised my head. It wasn't clear, but it seemed Goku had him in an armlock, pulling him away from me whilst struggling to keep hold of the thrashing Raditz.

"Piccolo! Do your special attack!" Special attack?

"You got it" I saw Piccolo smirk as he stood, but he eyed Raditz wearily.

"I finally get to take you out Goku, this must be my lucky day" Oh no, since Goku was stood behind him..any attack that went through Raditz would go through Goku.

But it was obvious there was no other way. Gohan was still unconscious across the way, having no say in his father's sacrifice.

And there was nothing I could do.

"Special beam, cannon!" Piccolo grunted, dipping a finger from his forehead, a swirl of electric yellow energy spiraled forward from the tip of his finger. I closed my eyes, I couldn't bear to watch. But I heard Raditz's scream as it pierced his heart all the same.

My eyes opened of their own will, and it was slow-motion as Goku and Raditz fell through the air. The beam hadn't gone through Goku's heart, but the gaping hole was evidence to his eminent death.

"You idiot Goku" Raditz choked out as blood streamed from his mouth. Both of them were now flat on the grass, their blood dying the blades red.

"Oh don't worry about him, you'll be dying alone" Piccolo flashed Goku a grim smile as he crouched down beside Raditz.

"What..do you mean.." he coughed, his plastic thing falling of his face.

"Well you see, we have these things called dragon balls on our planet. If you gather all seven of them, and no doubt Goku's friends will. The eternal dragon is summoned and will grant a wish. His friends will wish him back to life, so yes, you will be dying alone" Well, that was new. A dragon that granted wishes. They weren't normal earthling humans after all.

"Yeah, like the flamingo chicken things didn't tell you that"

"Shut up Mel" And then Raditz laughed. He actually laughed.

"What the hell are you laughing about" Piccolo growled.

"You see this green piece of plastic, it's a scouting device" He coughed up more blood, his skin fading to a shade of grey. His time was running out. "But more importantly..its a transmitter to my two other comrades who are much stronger than I am…" Another death cough. "they'll come, you mark my words.." His eyes slid shut, his final moments upon him.

"How long..how long!" Goku asked, fear setting his voice. These two comrades of his were stronger? But we'd barely defeated Raditz as it was.

"A year..at most"

"Damn it!" Piccolo slammed a fist next to Raditz's unmoving body, glaring with true hatred at the scouter. Then there was a whirring sound and familiar voices calling to Goku. His friends were here, and Goku was near death. How would we even explain it.

"Goku!" The blue haired woman was waving out of the hovercraft as it touched down, utter distress on her face. I absentmindedly wondered if she was his wife.

"Oh no, what did you do to him!" The one named Krillin was first out, kneeled at his friend's dying body within moments.

"It wasn't us" I said sadly, gathering some final energy so that I could stand.

"Goku, you have to live, you can't die on us now. Not after everything we've been through!"

"But you can wish me back Krillin" The blue haired woman went to the kid, scooping him up in her arms.

"Will he be okay?" She asked tentatively.

"He'll be fine" Piccolo was still scowling, as if he cared naught for the final moments of a person's life. It was then I realized no one close to me had ever died. Would I be like them, distraught and desperate to keep that person alive, despite knowing they would die. I thought of Cherry, he meant everything to me, and if I hadn't have convinced them to come, he'd be safe, happy even. Maybe even have a family and a normal girlfriend. It had only been half a day, but I missed the guy like hell. I hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

What was I doing.

"Krillin…"

"Yes Goku?"

"Take care..of Gohan" A tear sprung in Krillin's eyes and the mood was entirely somber.

"Sure thing buddy, I'll take real good care of him"

"And Chi-chi..don't forget Chi-chi.." He heaved one last breath before his chest fell flat.

"Goku..? Goku!" Krillin sobbed, his screams of distress scattering the birds above into flight.

"Don't worry Krillin, we'll have him back in no time" I hadn't seen the old guy come out but he was right beside Krillin, a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah..you're right. But what on earth am I gonna tell Chi-chi" The blue haired woman was still trying to revive the child. I'm guessing she wasn't the wife after all.

As Krillin turned away from his former friends body, a breeze of wind curled by, dissipating the body into particles ad sweeping it away.

"What the?"

"Kami has him" Piccolo stated, not that I knew who this Kami was. It satisfied the others though, as they nodded their approval.

"We've got bigger problems" I finally said, even though they weren't really mine. But it looked like I was going to be dragged into it. After all, they were going to need all the help they could get.

"What do you mean?" Krillin turned his glare on me.

"You see that green piece of plastic over there?"

"Yeah, what about it"

"It's a scouting device, but also works as a transmitter. Raditz had two saiyan comrades who overheard Piccolo talking about the dragon balls, and there on their way here as we speak. The worst part is, their a lot stronger than Raditz ever was" Even though there was no proof, a dying man had no reason to bluff. Especially not one so arrogant.

"Then we need to prepare, we'll teach them not to mess with our planet!" Krillin spoke with raw determination through gritted teeth. And another question came to mind. How many times had they had something like this happen. What was this place.

"I'll see if I can reprogram this thing to find Yamcha and Tien, we'll need everyone we can to prepare if we want to win" The woman picked up the scouter, poking and prodding it with her only free hand.

"RRR!" The woman was startled and dropped the scouting and Piccolo grunted and growled. The three of Goku's friends looked terrified. I was more concerned if he was constipated or something, cause that was sure what it looked like.

"You okay?" I asked before he gave one last roar and an arm popped out of the stump.

"Whoa, what the hell? Did you just regenerate?"

"Yes"

"Now that is one handy ability"

"Yeah well, I'm taking the boy for training" He addressed Goku's friends.

"What!?"

"The kid's got power, and we'll need him against the Saiyans. You can have him when the year is up"

"Are you insane!? What the hell am I supposed to tell his mother!?"

"Not my problem, and I'm taking him with or without your permission" The woman squeezed tighter on Gohan, as if she could prevent Piccolo from taking him. But he was right, the kid had a hidden power.

"Just cause you want to eat him!"

"As if, I've got better things to eat than a child of Goku's"

"Guys, chill out. Krillin, I won't let him eat Gohan, don't worry" I can't believe I just agreed to that, and apparently, Piccolo couldn't either from the look he shot me. That would mean I would have to go with him, and I didn't think I had an invitation.

Piccolo used some sort of psychic force to levitate Gohan out of the woman's arms and into his, before gathering a burst of energy and taking to the air.

"Hey! Wait up!" I yelled before tearing through the air myself.

Meanwhile, in the depths of outer space. Two menacing people were preparing to head to new earth.

"You hear that Vegeta? Those things grant wishes"

"Yes Nappa, I heard" The smaller person tore a strip of an animal leg, sucking on the succulent meat.

"So, what are we gonna wish for when we get there. Are we gonna bring Raditz back to life?"

"Don't be a fool Nappa" He threw the leg down to the wastelanded terrain. "Why would we want that weakling back when we could have immortality"

"Ohh, right, Then we could live forever!" he enthused.

"Just get in the pod Nappa"

"Sure thing Vegeta" The taller figure clambered into one of the two round pods, as the smaller figure sauntered over to the second.

"Immortality here we come"


	6. Chapter 5- Death sentence

Chapter Five- Death sentence

It was late day before Piccolo finally stopped at another barren wasteland. The only signs of life between the luminous mountains and a puddle of glistening water. I landed two seconds after he did, just as he threw the unconscious Gohan into the water. Before I could say anything, the boy spluttered and thrashed about. Waking up and righting himself to sit in the knee high water.

Then he started crying.

"Where's my daddy!?" Piccolo growled again beside me.

"Shut up" Gohan only cried harder.

"Look, your father sacrificed himself in the battle with Raditz. And it got the job done. But don't worry, he'll be back soon. Meanwhile, you have be trained with that hidden power of yours so you can battle against the two saiyans that will be here in a year"

"Wow, way to break to it to him Piccolo" His sharp features turned towards me and I was rewarded with a glare.

"I didn't ask for your opinion. What are you even doing here anyway"

"I wish I knew" I muttered.

"Excuse me" Gohan butted in, breaking us from our staring contest. " But I don't have any special powers"

"That's where your wrong" Piccolo made his way to Gohan, roughly picking him up by the collar of his tunic.

"Piccolo, don't be so rough" I disapproved. He lifted his arm; Gohan still hanging from it, and launched Gohan towards the nearest mountain.

"What the hell are you doing!?" I screamed as he whizzed through the air unmoving as the mountain loomed up at him.

"Just watch" And watch I did. About three quarters of the way there, he blazed with white energy, roaring at the mountain. When they collided, Gohan blasted through, the top of the mountain sliced clean in half and it crumbled down the mountain side.

"God..you were right" Not that it made it right that he threw the poor boy headfirst at a mountain but still. The said boy appeared at the foot of the mountain, dazed and stumbled back towards us.

"Mr piccolo..I think I understand now"

"Good, you have to harness that power if we're going to have any chance against the saiyans"

"But I still don't think I can fight" But his objections were ignored as Piccolo was now on his high horse and continued in the same fierce tone.

"If you can survive here for six months on your own, you're worth training. So either you die and Earth is doomed, or you learn to survive and I'll be back in six months to train you"

"W-what!" Gohan didn't seem to be too fond of that idea. I sensed Piccolo gather his energy once more, and quickly following suit. We both took to the air flying a good few metres behind a bulbous mountain.

"And now we watch" Piccolo hovered in the air, legs crossed as though he was sitting on the air. I slowly did the same, trying to ignore the fact I could fall at any moment.

"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on him? The poor boy is probably only five years old" Again, I wasn't sure why I was bothering to get involved. Not my planet, not my place. But still..

"So? I'm only eight" I spluttered out the air I had just breathed in, almost losing my control of my energy and plummeting to my death. As he shot me a look of pure menace, I managed to keep the slippery energy at my feet and sat down again.

"You can't be serious"

"Well I am"

"But look at you, you're taller than me for Christ sakes, and your well built and…"

"And what?" As I took my first proper look at him without distraction, I had to bite my lip from saying it. He was in fact..well he was hot. Undeniably hot. With those thick lean muscles and his tall build. Those high, sharp cheekbones and a pointed nose. He had the look of a haughty man, albeit a green one at that. But who cared that he was green.

My eyes slipped down his torso, stopping at the bulge in the middle of those well filled pants.

No, I won't go there. Cherry was waiting at Moonsky for me, faithfully awaiting my return. Yet I still couldn't keep my eyes of him, I wanted to feel those muscles coiled around my body.

"Lessa?" Piccolo broke in through my all too visual daydreams, and I lazily thought that even his voice sounded sexy. It seemed slightly more husky than before too.

Oh..he'd noticed where my eyes were.

"Ahem" I coughed and discreetly raised my eyes to his black ones. "You were saying?"

"You were going to add something after you said I was well-built" And his cheeks flushed with a tint of the deepest red.

"It was nothing" I forced myself to turn towards Gohan again, glad for the distraction. He was out of the water now, crying to himself on the sandy ground. A blaze of wind was whipping around the wasteland, knocking on gohan's tunic coat insistently. The poor kid, he didn't even notice his grief was that consuming. I wanted to help. But this sexy stranger beside me obviously knew what he was doing. The kid was a full-on softie. He needed hardening up. All things considered, if I was going to assist them in fighting the saiyans, I need to get stronger as well.

"You could always ask him to train you" Mel was quick to point out within the security of my mind, unbiased considering the thoughts I was having about him.

"It's not my biz to go there Lessa, im here to assist you, not chaperone you into being someone your not" Someone I'm not huh? So, I'm the kind of person who cheats at will?

"I didn't mean that" Although thinking about it, I was a train-wreck with commitment to the human males on earth, was I really going to be any better with Cherry. I sighed again, my confusion lost in the forthcoming wind.

The wind whipped again, and Gohan let out a huge sob just as his coat was lifted clean of his shoulders, and carried about halfway up a rock face nearby. Gohan finally shook of his tears and stared in dismay at the coat, which was now strung over a jutting edge.

"Come on Gohan.." Piccolo murmured from beside me, fully distracted; and disappointed with the boy's minimal efforts to do something other than cry.

Slowly but surely, Gohan edged closer. The wind nipping its icy teeth and his bitter thin tunic. He was unable to ignore the cold, and that would drive him towards getting his coat back. Speaking of cold, I wondered why I wasn't feeling it. The air around me was warm in fact. Pausing to take note of my surroundings, I saw I was closer to Piccolo than I realized, having moved closer in my eagerness to watch. Piccolo seemed to radiating an intense heat, concentration screwed all over his sharp features.

I literally had to tear my eyes away from him. And I had looked longer than I should have, for Gohan was now scaling the Rock face with unsteady, trembling muscles.

Despite all that shaking, he edged closer and closer to the hanging coat.

Come on Gohan, don't give up! I willed.

As the wind smacked against him, he made a last ditch attempt to swing up and grab the coat. The material passing and then catching in his small chubby hands. The wind swayed relentlessly and his remaining hand lost its grip, the child and coat rocketing back down to a harsh but welcoming ground.

The kid was resilient, I'll give him that. No doubt inherited from the father I barely knew. From the way he was dressed, I wouldn't say his mom was much of a good character.

He sat up instantly, lightly nursing his skin with slow rubs. The kid didn't even seem bruised.

A lizard skittered nearby, weaving in and out of the smooth rocks that littered the sand. Gohan perked up at the sound, his undivided attention watching the lizard's movements as though they were a lifeline.

Shame he couldn't hear the monster behind him. Both of Piccolo's hands had grabbed me by the shoulders by the time I noticed it. My traitorous body relaxing in the strong grip of a man.

"That's a dinosaur Piccolo!"

"Like I don't know that. Let the kid handle it on his own" Well I would, if the kid actually knew it was there.

Apparently the dinosaur wanted its lunch to know it was there though. It stomped its huge heavy feet, shaking the wasteland like a massive earthquake. Except, earthquakes didn't eat you.

The lizard stopped playing around and tumbled of in a hurry, causing Gohan to look around to see what had caused his new friend to run away. He didn't seem to like the new arrival too much as pure undiluted terror washed over his childish features.

His legs turned to jelly as he stood, awkwardly sticking out at the sides as he made a run for it. The dinosaur seemed pleased that his lunch was making him work for it, and his huge t-rex feet ate up the distance between him and Gohan.

As Gohan grew more desperate, the same white energy from earlier started to fill his aura, blazing proudly. Gohan's eyes went red, and his features twisted with animalistic rage.

"Finally, something interesting" Piccolo mused. The white energy sweeped over his whole form, blasting the small body high out the dinosaurs reach, picking the highest mountain around. Gohan then collapsed onto the rounded peak of the mountain, the energy dying down instantaneously. His eyes rolled back as unconsciousness hit him.

The dinosaur was half the size of the mountain, and reluctantly left its prey to amble of into another wasteland for its lunch.

We hadn't moved for hours. Dusk had long fallen and the stars were out in their fullest. Although I hadn't untangled them from Piccolo's meditating position. I could tell my muscles were stiff, but fully recovered from their exertions in the earlier day. We hadn't spoke either, although my throat burned with the tones of questions I wanted to ask him. For example, did he do this a lot. Cause he sure seemed used to it. His heavy green lids had closed over the black pools like film, but I sensed he could still see me staring at him.

A quiet sob was what opened those deep eyes. Gohan was finally awake, and was fretting over the height of the mountain. He had been for the past couple of hours, with no memory of how he got there.

Perhaps he thought it was an act of cruelty by Piccolo.

"I wonder if anger is the key to his power" I mused.

"If it is, it doesn't keep the door open very long" And that was the first thing this guy had said to me all night. Piccolo unfolded his legs and heaved a sigh.

"I'll be back in a second" He said before flying of silently west. Leaving me to watch a five year old boy in tears.

I counted 180 seconds before he returned. Barely inches above Gohan's bowed head with two shiny red apples in his hands. He seemed disapproving as he watched the boy's fruitless sobbing, but dropped the two apples beside him nevertheless. He was gone and back at my side before Gohan had even looked up. He scanned the sky, but found nothing. Turning his attention back to the succulent apples.

Piccolo nudged me as Gohan carefully examined the apples, producing two more from his turban. He motioned for me to hold out my hand, and he dropped the juiciest apple into my palm. It barely weighed more than a bag of sugar, and as my stomach growled. I realized I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I was starving. As Gohan winced at the sour flavor as he took a bite, I devoured the apple in three bites, its bitter juice running down my throat and warming it.

As Piccolo swallowed his own apple, Gohan whimpered and complained about the sourness to no one in particular and whined for his mom's food.

"Spoilt brat" Piccolo hissed. But Gohan ate both apples, leaving only the cores at his side. He sat back gazing wistfully at the stars; before rolling over and closing his eyes. Probably hoping that sleep would bring a better outcome. My stomach growled in agreement.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you more" Piccolo said almost silently. And that was the last thing I heard before exhaustion washed over me like a black wave.


	7. Chapter 6- A night to remember

Chapter 6- A night to remember

I was back at the airship, but it was dark and empty. Deathly blackness seeped through the walls, mixed with the day old remnants of thick red blood.

"Cherry? Hoss? Anyone..?" My shoes echoed their steps of the bloodied tiles, as I called out for any sign of life. Panic started to rise up in my throat, boiling as a bubble that needed releasing.

And then, out of nowhere. A beam of sunshine washed in from the window, getting closer and closer until my eyes were burning and my eyeballs melted...

"Cherry!" I cried, sitting up faster than I woke up. My stomach lurching upwards and threatening to bring up its sole contents, a sour apple. As panic subsided from my body, I took notice that I was on my own, on a mountain ledge similar to Gohan's. The last thing I remembered was passing out on Piccolo, so I guess he must have put me here to rest. Speaking of Piccolo, I couldn't see him anywhere. Nor Gohan for that matter. The wasteland looked the same, but then again, I bet all the others did too.

Cocking my ears to the opposite side of this morning's slight breeze (and also to keep the blazing sun out of my eyes) I heard the telltale stream of rushing water nearby. Where there was water, there was fish, and where there was fish; there was breakfast. My stomach rumbled its agreement and clenched as I tapped into my store of energy. I was shocked to find my whole body brimming with it, it's store replenished and a bit more with last nights sleep.

My stomach growled again.

"Alright alright, food first, think later" The energy flew me steadily to the ground, where a small patch of grass under an overhanging tree indicated a clearing to the river. It was surprising how close this lush tiny forest and river could be to the wasteland, it seemed that the terrain didn't work by temperature on this planet. The leafy trees provided great shade, with only the smallest rays illuminating certain leaves of the trees, creating a beautiful green glow on the lizards and birds that weaved through the trees.

And the water..it was beautiful. The sun reflected of its sparkly surface, showing how crystal clear the water was right to the depth of its bed. I tore of my clothes and set them on a rock, leaping straight in to the chilling water. Floating on my front, I gulped up the water like it was the only thing keeping me alive. Then it was time for a lazy swim. I didn't go far from my clothes, just back and forth. Not that I was worried of anyone seeing me. Piccolo was probably watching Gohan still and Gohan was probably still on that mountain crying. Just the forest creatures to see my bare body.

As I floated on my back, with the water gently caressing my breasts, something slimy brushed my foot. I jumped about a mile, inhaling half the river as I splashed about trying to climb out of the river.

From the safety of soft grass, I saw it had just been a little fish. Clearly startled by me too. Mm..fish.

"Don't worry little guy, I won't hurt you. Why don't you introduce me to some of your friends?" As if my request had been heard, a school of fish came drifting by, a sliver of their fins fanned out in the sun as if basking in it. This was an opportunity I could and would not miss. The only thing I had on offer was a slightly pointed branch hanging above me, and tearing it of; it would prove useful. With the stick in one hand, I flattened myself on my stomach by the side of the water. The fish mere centimeters away from me. If I was to get as many as possible, the timing had to be just right.

'Stab!' The stick sluiced through the water, impaling the insides of ten fish. Fresh blood dripped from their dead bodies to their friends in the water, and the rest were gone within seconds. I didn't worry. Ten was plenty. Now all I needed was a fire.

The kid was proving if nothing, that he was capable of shedding constant tears. Ever since the moment he'd woke up, he'd cried and cried complaining about hunger. At least the female didn't do that. Speaking of the female, I sensed her close by. Seemingly messing with some sort of fire. She had probably caught food and was now cooking it, unlike Gohan who was too chicken to even think about climbing down, let alone hunting. Goku's son was a massive disappointment, but giving up was not an option. He had a hidden power that could be used against the saiyans. And I'll be damned if I don't get him to release it.

Then I could hear the female, she was flying towards me with the scent of something delicious with her. The last time I had seen her was late last night, when exhaustion had forced her to sleep and I carried her and laid her out on a mountain peak. I wasn't sure why I did it, I wasn't used to company. And that was no surprise, I'd been alone my whole life. But she had looked so innocent in her sleep, and if she was willing to help in the fight with the saiyans, then so be it. She had power, that was for sure. She almost equaled him and Goku according to Raditz's scouter. And that attack of hers, the one she called White fire, it was amazing. I'd wondered about asking her to teach it to me, but with Gohan and everything, I hadn't had the time to broach it yet.

"Hey Piccolo, you hungry?" The female dropped down onto her knees next to me, holding out four perfectly cooked fish. I was going to say something about that she should eat them, that I didn't necessarily have to eat. But there was something about that smile on her face, her happiness at seeing me. That made me take the fish with a slight tilt upwards of my lips.

"Thanks" They looked amazing too, cooked for just the right amount of time. I didn't worry about bones, and snapped each fish into half with my teeth and swallowed. She watched me the whole time, her brown eyes curious. I swallowed the final half of fish, flicking my tongue over my lips to savor the final taste. For a female that could fight, she sure knew how to make food. I hardly ever bothered myself. That apple last night being the first food I had eaten in weeks. I ate it because I didn't want to have to explain why I didn't have to eat, and perhaps a slight part of me didn't want to disgust the female by saying I was sort of like a slug, that I could live of just water. How stupid. I didn't want to disgust the female I had barely known a day. What difference would it make, maybe it would even get rid of her.

Idiot I told myself. You don't want her to go that's what it is. You want her company. I couldn't deny it. I'd been my whole life without company, and now, that was all I wanted.

"Were they okay Piccolo?" She flashed me a look of concern. Oh, right.

"They were perfect" I said truthfully, and she seemed satisfied with that answer.

We spent the whole morning and part of the afternoon watching Gohan. He would lean over the side every now and then, accessing the height and then flopping onto his back in despair. His hunger cried as well. And Gohan was getting increasingly agitated with the further his hunger went. I'd asked Piccolo if he'd take pity and let me drop some fish down for him, but he insisted I didn't.

The boys got to harden up, hunger will drive him down eventually. That was what he said. But fear was a powerful thing. And the instinct of survival was too. Those things could drive a person to die slowly instead of taking the quicker, less painful way out. It happened all the time back on Earth. Suicidal teenagers with failed attempts because instinct wouldn't let them do it. So they turned to things like anorexia instead. A slower and more painful way, but didn't trigger the human instincts as much. It was perplexing how the human minds worked.

I was getting restless myself. Wanting to do anything but this. We should be training, doing something, anything. But if Piccolo could sit here all day, then so could i. Besides, if I wanted the guy to train me, I couldn't leave him.

More afternoon passed and the highlight of the day was a stampede of triceratops. Because apparently dinosaurs never went extinct on this planet, and man just adapted to living with them. Piccolo had even said that some crazy scientist, father of the blue haired woman we saw back at the battlefield; actually kept them as pets. He'd also mentioned the planet was called new Earth. Which made a lot of sense. It was like earth, just more technologically advanced and slight difference with its planetary and universal species. Other than that, Piccolo didn't talk much. Just meditated whilst keeping a sensory tab on Gohan. But I caught him sneaking a few looks at me.

When the stampede of triceratops had run of into the wild to terrorize some other innocent species, I decided to try a light hearted approach at talking again. Piccolo was interesting, and maybe now would be a good idea to broach the idea of training.

"I'm sure glad I wasn't down there" I said with a sigh of relief, hoping it would get Piccolo's attention. He opened an eye.

"Why?" Well that wasn't much of a conversation starter but still.

"Well, I'd have just been trampled. There's no way I could fight of an entire stampede of dinosaurs" Both eyes were open now.

"You can fight, I've seen you. It just needs refining that's all. A bit of training would do you good" And he had just giving me the perfect opening.

"So, is that you offering to train me?" He shifted backwards.

"That wasn't what I meant" A grin crossed my face.

"But that doesn't mean you can't train me. Since your leaving Gohan to fend for himself for the next six months, you've got plenty of time to do so. Unless your intimidated by female charms or something" He snorted.

"Female charms, yeah right" I folded my arms and huffed.

"Well I'm not going anywhere until you agree to train me" He was silent for a moment.

"Fine…but on one condition"

"And what's that?" I smiled sweetly, knowing that I was unnerving him slightly.

"You teach me that move of yours, white fire" He wanted me to teach him that move, the used to be signature move of the fire goddess Melanie had told me about? Well, I guess it was a pretty good move.

"Sure thing Piccolo, when do we begin?"

Another night and nothing had changed. Piccolo agreed to train me the next morning, and we were still waiting on Gohan to get down from his new home. He had sat in the same spot for hours, just like we were. But at least we weren't draining out energy this time. Sitting on the rock was a lot easier than balancing my energy to stop me from falling. Still painful on the muscles though.

A squirrel came out of a tiny crevice in the rock Gohan sat on, sniffing delicately at the moldy apple cores. When Gohan extended a finger to pet it, it returned the gesture with a quick nip on the tip before scampering of with an apple core and slipping back through the crevice.

The night was still young though, with a full moon blossoming across the dark depths of space.

Piccolo was missing the beauty of it though. Both eyes closed as a result of his heavy meditation. He looked very serious, and very hot. Despite the dream this morning and my worry for Cherry, I still couldn't take my eyes of this handsome creature. Besides, it was fine to look, just not touch. Although if given the opportunity, I'd be doing plenty of that. Those pants and his dark blue t-shirt would be coming of for a start. I was about to do the same to take my mind of him before I noticed Gohan. The boy was looking at the full moon, nothing strange about that. Yet he seemed entranced by it. The first changes were slight, but I noticed them alright. His nose pushed out further from his face. Brown hair sprouted in a slight layer over his face. And his features began contorting; enlarging.

"Um, Piccolo? You might wanna look at this" But his eyes stayed firmly glued shut. I was tempted to hit him where it hurts, but instead I just nudged him in the ribs. Both eyes flew open. I didn't need to say anything, his eyes were already on Gohan. Gohan was roaring now, his face and body rapidly growing up and outwards. But it wasn't human muscle that he was developing. The hair was getting thicker, and his body was becoming as though an apes was. He roared again. A giant ape…

And this giant ape was all for destruction. The mind that was Gohan's was gone. Transformation complete, he was now a giant brown ape about 20 times the size of me and Piccolo at least. The mountain crumbled under the apes tremendous weight and enraged; it began swinging its arms wildly and slicing the other mountains apart.

"Jesus, if we don't stop him he'll destroy everything!" Piccolo was up on his feet, pulling me with him.

"How could he have changed so radically?..." Then I remembered something Raditz had said. 'You fool! You know as well as I do it's the key to unlocking your full potential. I'm sure at least once in your life you've looked at the full moon' The moon…

"Piccolo! The moon! It's the key to saiyans transforming" He turned his hurried gaze to the moon, fists clenched with my hand still in one. If not for the seriousness of the situation, I'd be reveling in his soft warm touch.

It was obvious it was the moon, but what to do about it was the problem. Lessa's warm hand squirmed in mine, and I tried to ignore the feeling of warmth in my chest. Dropping her fingers quickly, I pondered what I could do about the moon. Perhaps if the full moon disappeared, the transformation would be reversed. Surely it did when morning appeared and the moon was gone behind the sun. Although that would be too long to wait. Gohan would have the whole planet destroyed by then. This was the power that Raditz was on about, the power Goku had lost. And thank god for that too.

"Maybe if we blow the moon up, he change back" Lessa said quietly, voicing the exact thing I had been thinking.

"Alright, stay back" I warned. I gathered an armful of ki and raised my aim for the core of the moon. This shouldn't be hard. The ki was complying and raced for the moon's core like lightning. It struck the core with a satisfactory bang, and the moon was then gone for good.

"Hey, it worked"

"Stay here" I told her and I leaped down to the now normal Gohan, who was naked and unconscious. Poor kid. At least he'd had parents and now one was dead and I'd taken him from the other. But I need him. Earth needs him. And once this planet is safe, I'll be the one to rise up and rule it. His fluffy brown tail was slack against his backside. That thing, I had an instinct it was part of the transformation. After all, Goku didn't have one any more and you could be certain he didn't transform at full moon. Sorry kid, but its gotta go. I ripped it out, leaving the tiniest brown stump inside his back. It wasn't actually necessary, since the moon was gone. But I didn't like the thing anyway.

Now the kid needed clothes, and a weapon. It was a good thing I knew clothes beam. Surprising what ki could be used for.

My ki washed over the kid, creating an orange jumpsuit like his father so fondly wore, but it had my symbol on the back. His weapon was a small but resilient sword. He could hunt with it. I had already done too much for the kid, it was time to leave now. But when it came to it, I hoped he survived. We needed him, that's all there was to it. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

"Come on Lessa, it's time to go" I called up. She nodded and joined me in the air. There was a wasteland far away from Gohan that would provide for adequate training. This female would become stronger, and I would learn white fire. It was nothing about the company, or the things she made me feel in my chest.

Yeah right, you keep telling yourself that. I growled.

Damn you inner voice. Just leave me alone.


	8. Chapter 7- Confessions of the months

Chapter 7- Confessions of passing months.

It had been a month since we left a sleeping Gohan to fend for himself. And as far as we could sense, he had avoided being eaten by a dinosaur so far. We had gone to a wasteland about half a planet away from Gohan and people themselves, so that Piccolo could 'train' me. His idea of training was attempting to beat the crap into me. I say attempting though, cause now I was able to dodge most of his hits, and land some of my own. He was getting stronger too, which meant I had to double my training. I'd also refused to teach him white fire until I decided I was strong enough. Which could be a while.

"Your getting better, but you still can't beat me" Piccolo was a fierce trainer, and fighter. Causing me to flip back, and throw my ki at him within a matter of seconds to avoid getting burnt to a crisp.

"Oh please, you haven't landed a hit on me since yesterday, and we've been out here for five hours already"

"Oh yeah?" He disappeared then appeared in front of me, but the blow came from behind in the base of my spine. I was crippled instantly and landed face down in the sands of this forsaken wasteland.

"That was a cheap trick Piccolo" I coughed as I swallowed some of the harsh grainy sand. "Two against one is hardly fair"

"Who said this was going to be fair" He smirked before the split part of him reattached itself. Cocky bastard. Just cause I couldn't split into two.

"I'm taking a break, I need a swim" And I was all too aware of how sore loser I was being as I stormed away in the direction of the stream. Like the guy needed a raise to his ego, which he didn't.

I had to restrain a laugh as she stormed of in a huff. I suppose it wasn't fair but she was getting too strong for me as it was. Splitting into two was my last resort. I never told her though. I didn't want her to let it go to her head. As I'm sure humans do. If she was human that is. All we did was eat, train and sleep. We barely talked and if we did, it was never about ourselves or our past. Which suited me just fine.

And then that strange part of my body, the part I never bothered with. Stuck up again, making a bulge in my pants. It was always like that around Lessa, not that I knew why. But Lessa wasn't here now, so why it was like that was a mystery. Then I realized why, I was thinking about Lessa in the water. The strange part liked that, it even started throbbing almost painfully in response. I had the strangest urge to go and spy on her, to see if the real thing was as good as the picture in my head.

It was halfway across the planet, a stream she had found when we were watching Gohan. Luckily Gohan had moved on, so he never saw us when we went there. I only came for water to drink though, usually. This time I had a different agenda. When I was right under the canopy of trees, I pulled my ki in close, masking my presence so that Lessa wouldn't know I was here. She had after all, learned to sense other people's ki's.

It was a good thing I had as well. By the sounds of splashing water, she wasn't far away. I followed the stream downwards, flitting in and out of trees. When the sounds were almost right in front me, I stopped, almost tripping over a rock that was by the edge of the water. Behind it was a soft fabric of some sort, and picking it up with my hands I suddenly realized who it belonged to.

These were Lessa's clothes, Lessa was naked in the water. The strange part seemed delighted with the knowledge and continued wrestling with my pants to come out. I had never seen a naked female before. In fact I rarely saw a female at all. I had no idea what differences there were between male and females, except the two lumps females had on their chests. Well and the fact females tended to have longer hair and slightly softer features. But there was obviously something I had missed. The reason why females had offspring and why males didn't. I assumed males had the strange part between their legs, even if I was green and a different species, I was sure they had the same. But females, I was certain they didn't. In that area there wasn't a bulge. In fact it just seemed flat.

The water beside me rippled with disturbance, and I barely had time to crouch behind the rock before she appeared at the head of the water. She was stood up, treading the water which only just reached to her hips. Which meant I had a very clear view of those female lumps. Without the clothes she wore, the lumps looked perfectly rounded, and seemed to hang heavily over her flat but toned stomach. They were the same colour as her skin, a pearly white, with the exception of a pointy thing in the middle of the lump. It was pink and looked sharp enough to stab someone in the eye with. Around it was a small dark skinned circle.

And wasn't even the best part. I desperately looked for that place between those firm legs of hers, needing to know the difference between male and female that had eluded me for so long. The water was clear, and it didn't hide anything. Where I had a hard rod of skin, she had a flat surface. But at the very bottom there was a slit. Unless she got out of the water and lied on her back with her legs spread open, which wasn't going to happen. There was no way of seeing how far around the slit went. But I had good reason to believe that the hard rod males had were supposed to go in those female slits.

I spent longer in the water than I had to meant to. Letting the serenity of nature calm me down so that I no longer wanted to slap that smirk of Piccolo's face. It was an hour at least before I returned to Piccolo. He was in the same place I left him, except he was sat cross-legged. I at first thought he was meditating again, but on a closer look his eyes were open and he seemed to be trying to avoid looking at me.

I looked downwards in a panic, thinking that maybe I had forgotten to put my clothes back on but no, they were still there.

"Why are you avoiding me?" When I was ignored again, I sat down beside him, folding my arms. "I'm not going anywhere til you talk to me"

"I'm not ignoring you" But he still wouldn't look at me.

"Yes you are" I pushed myself onto my knees, crawling around to sit right in front of him. I then grabbed his head with both hands and forced his eyes on mine. Bad idea. I almost leant forward to kiss him when I saw the fire in his black eyes.

"What is sex Lessa" I dropped my hands like he'd burned me. "Why is it that males and females are different. And that when I see you this strange part of me feels so hard that im surprised it doesn't explode" His hand dropped down his chest, cupping the bulge in his pants. A warm wetness filled my own pants. His innocence at not knowing what sex was turned me on more than anything else. It was taking all my self-restraint not to straddle him and show him exactly what sex was.

I was all too aware of the fact that night had now hit and of how close and alone we were.

I had never been asked something like this before, and assumed I would only ever experience that awkwardness if I had kids.

'So word it in the way that you would tell your kids'

'I really don't think this is the same thing' But I suppose that was better than stealing his virginity. Those things should really be kept for someone you love. I mean hell, mine was taken by my brother when I was drunk, and I regret that even if he doesn't.

"Well...When a man and women love each other, or even just have an interest in each other. This part of a man" I stopped and placed my hand on the tip of the bulge, the only place where his hands weren't already. I rubbed my finger around in a circle twice, gauging his reaction. His small fangs bit down into his lip, and he growled. It wasn't angry growling though, it was purely sexual. "This part is taken into a womans body, and it gives pleasure for both them. It's a way of bonding and creating offspring" I used my other hand to cover my sexual part. The slick wetness making the pants rub against me in a way that was nicer than I needed right now.

When he spoke his voice was low, and his eyes burned with that consuming fire. I shifted uncomfortably at the thought of having him inside where it ached for him most. Both of us would no doubt lose control.

"Have you ever done that with another male?" Now it was my turn to bite my lip.

"Yes, I have" And the moment was gone. A distance put between us. I could finally breathe again.

"Where is your offspring then?"

"Having sex doesn't always create offspring. There are ways of preventing it or sometimes it just doesn't happen" Piccolo breathed a sigh of relief and stopped growling.

"Good"

Another month had passed the same way. No mention of sex or male or female parts; and thank god for that as well.

When I woke however, everything felt different.

I was probably pushing my luck, but last night Lessa had fallen asleep in my lap and I hadn't the heart to push her away. It felt nice. Warm, comforting even. So I simply rolled her onto the ground with my arm still around her and took in the warmth of her body as we both slept. She was waking now though, and after the confusion went, her eyes hosted anger as she spotted me beside her.

Even now, I should probably back away; but I was curious as to how this would turn out.

"What the hell do you think your doing" she demanded, her teeth gritted and a slow growling sound came from deep in her throat. This was apparently not going the way I planned.

"I fell asleep like it. It's not my fault you fell asleep in my lap"

"How dare you. I have a mate. You do not touch me without my say so" We stood at the exact same time, and I had no time to move before she slung her fist at my face. The pure anger knocking me flat on the ground.

She wasn't done either. I felt my body being lifted and then thrown. Air constricting my lungs before I slammed into the nearest mountain.

"Are you done..?" I said meekly. I guess I deserved it.

"Yes…I'm done"

And for the rest of the day, there was no mention of the incident.

"Gohan, are you there!?" Piccolo called out frantically, scanning the ferocious waves for any sign of Gohan. We could sense his energy, so he was still alive but it was waning.

We weren't due to find Gohan for another two months, but a terrible storm had whipped up in late afternoon, continuing on into the night. It was then we had both sensed Gohan in danger.

Chucking aside the fish fillet we had for dinner, we had come to the ocean where we sensed him last, but he was lost within the depths of the cascading waves.

"There's nothing we can do Lessa" It was harsh but true. I slipped my arms around his waist and dipped my head onto his back for comfort.

"I know Piccolo. We'll just wait and hope"

It was just another way to pass the remaining months.


	9. Chapter 8- It's just training

Chapter 8- It's just training

"I'm ready for my training Mr Piccolo"

"Good, it's about time"

It was a month after the storm that we feared had taken Gohan. Today he was alive, and he was in this sparkling forest, awaiting for his training to begin. I had to admire the kid, he had changed drastically over the last few months of solitude.

Where chubby child fat had been before, bulky muscle fitted instead. He wasn't just physically tough either, his mentality had gone up a few notches.

"All right, Lessa, you sit this one out" I glared at him but obediently went and pulled myself up a small mountain, sitting and swinging my legs over the side so I could watch them.

"Now Gohan, I want you to attack me with all your might" Gohan nodded and Piccolo crossed his arms over his chest, preparing for an onslaught. The kid darted forwards, his speed about half of Piccolo's. Piccolo stayed completely still and Gohan skidded around him, coming to his rear and attempting to land a kick up Piccolo's backside. Piccolo only moved at the last split second, leaping about five metres away from Gohan before blasting some ki at him. The same thing happened again twice more, before Piccolo stood up straight and held his hand up at the breathless Gohan.

He was disappointed, that much was obvious.

"Gohan, my first piece of advice for you is to sense the enemy rather than see him"

As Gohan shook his head; Piccolo sighed.

"Use your ki Gohan, and feel out your enemy's ki"

They continued for hours, Gohan always missing every single hit, and barely dodging Piccolo's. Piccolo was merciless, and the night was still young before Gohan was beaten to a pulp. His face was bruised with one eye so swollen it was obvious he couldn't see out of it. But he still smiled with determination.

As Gohan finished of the fish I had made and settled down to sleep, I asked Piccolo is he would allow me to heal his wounds so he could start fresh the next day but he wouldn't allow it.

'The boy needs to learn to fight with his wounds, besides, he's got saiyan blood. If he's anything like his dad he'll heal fast enough'

Saiyan blood or not, the blood in that swelling would still be there for a couple of days; obstructing his sight and making him more susceptible to Piccolo's attacks.

Maybe that was his plan, after all. He did say he wanted him to sense his enemy, not see them.

"When the kid's not eating or sleeping" Piccolo devoured the final fish and licked his lips, "He'll be sparring with you or me, got it?"

"You ain't the boss of me Piccolo" He rolled his eyes before fastening them on me. I saw them slip lower down my body.

"I know" He said softly. "But sometimes I wish I was" My cheeks heated up before I could stop them.

"Let's just train Piccolo"

"Agreed"

"I'm making progress ain't i mr Piccolo" Gohan looked expectantly at Piccolo, his respect for him glowing in the camp fire light.

A hint of a smile crossed Piccolo's face before he frowned at Gohan.

"Your making progress kid, but it isn't enough for what the two months training we've been doing" Gohan's smile dropped instantly.

"Lay of him Piccolo, he's been doing his best. Besides, you can't hit him as much as you'd like to, and not for lack of trying either"

"So what. He dodges my first couple of attacks and then I can still beat the crap out of him. I'm sorry but these saiyans are gonna be at least twice as strong as me and if you can't even dodge all my attacks these saiyans will have you dead within a minute. And you Lessa, your too soft on him, he's not gonna learn if you keep letting him get a hit on you every now and then on purpose"

"Yeah well, I'm sorry that I'm not as heartless as you and that I'm not into childbeating"

"And you can stop growling too"

"This fish and apple stew is amazing Lessa" Gohan said through mouthfuls of my latest recipe, desperately trying to banish the heavy air between us.

"Thanks kiddo, sorry I couldn't get some of that dinosaur meat you like so much though. That dinosaur you were eating of seems to have died from its fellow dinosaurs picking on it"

The silence came back. As usual. We'd known each other for eight months but it seemed there still wasn't much to say.

I yawned half out of distraction and half exhaustion.

"Man i'm tired, i'm think i'll hit the hay if you don't mind"

"Goodnight Lessa"

"Night Gohan" I shuffled myself around the other side of the campfire away from Piccolo before turning on my side and closing my eyes. It didn't help though, I could still feel Piccolo's eyes boring daggers in my back.

Neither male spoke for the next twenty minutes, yet I still couldn't sleep.

Lessa was cute when she slept, all the tension eased from the parts of her body bared. Her body looked delicate, and I had a raging instinct to protect it. Not that there was anything to protect it from. All there was here was me, Gohan and a fire.

"Mr piccolo"

"Yes Gohan?"

"I've seen the way you look at Miss Lessa. I could go away for a bit if you want some time alone with her" What!?

"Shut up and go to sleep kid"

'Kid's got a point though'

I had to restrain myself from growling. This inner voice thing was making way too many appearances and valid points over the past few months.

'You love her'

Yes…I do.


	10. Chapter 9- The ape saiyan

Chapter 9- The ape saiyan

"All right it's my turn to spar with him" I ignored him and continued throwing discs of ki at Gohan. He dodged all of them, but I was only half trying.

"Lessa! I said its my turn!" And then I felt firm arms wrap around my waist and drag me away, cutting of my ki supply.

"Alright, alright, keep your pants on will you" The arms released me and I shrugged, brushing of the dust and crushed rocks of my clothes.

I had given up watching them, not that I was ever really watching the fight anyway. All I was doing was admiring Piccolo's body. The training was the same boring stuff over and over, even if it did make us all stronger.

Watching guys shout and growl whilst attempting to kick or punch the living daylights out of each other was not my idea of fun. Even if occasionally they did try to burn each other with ki.

So what else was there to do? Examine the remnants of my clothes I guess.

I remembered cherry laughing at me the day I picked these. Usually I just wore whatever I found in the wardrobe I got given from cortex, but on that particular morning I decided I wanted to wear the outfit Nina had made for me when we had that Fantasy party. Never thought I would actually come to like it though.

It wasn't girly but it revealed more of my body than I was used to. Black knee high stockings where I usually wore tights and a bare bit of skin between the stockings and my black shorts. Thank god Nina wasn't the type of girl to like the color pink otherwise I would have burned the outfit by now. Then I had a sort of cross between a black overcoat and a dress covering most of my upper body. When I say most I mean there was a dip in the breast area and a lot of skin showing on my shoulders and arms.

And the last piece of the ensemble was some black leather gloves that practically molded to your skin when you put them on. Fingerless gloves I should add.

It made me look like a goth. No wonder cherry had laughed. He was used to seeing me in green. And it doesn't help when your skin tone is the same as a ghost's. Piccolo seemed to like it though. I pretended not to notice but it was obvious he had his eyes on me a lot of the time.

Ever since I had went further than I should have with explaining what sex was.

Thank god Gohan was here now, there was no chance of that happening.

I then heard a gasp, a blast of ki, and a smack as Gohan crashed to the floor clutching his burnt knee.

"No fair! You said you wouldn't use eye lasers Piccolo!"

"Stupid brat, you can't trust what your enemy says"

"But your not my enemy Piccolo"

"Yes I am. Now that's enough for training"

I sighed. Piccolo made a huge effort to distance himself from the kid, as if he didn't care. Yet he did, he cared for him a lot. Was it because he didn't want to show affection. He sure didn't show any to either of us if so. Maybe he was still trying to convince himself he was still gonna pull of that whole bad guy thing when the saiyans were gone. That he was gonna take over the world and all that bullshit.

Sure, I had only know him for just over half a year; but that guy had changed majorally over the time I'd known him. He was a bad guy reformed, I was sure of it.

Three people are sleeping undisturbed on the harsh tops of a mountain around the smoldering remnants of a campfire. Except one is moving, his dreams tormenting him. His eyes flicker rapidly before bursting open; but instead of the usual black pupil, a ferocious red has taking over.

The breeze carries a hidden message for the child's ears only. A recording played from the wreckage of a space pod. The instinct takes over and the boy bares fangs, scampering of into the darkness of the night.

Something was wrong. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and scanned the area around quickly. Lessa was still here, sleeping. Gohan... I couldn't find him.

"Lessa, wake up" I shook her desperately, I was worried about the kid. She groaned but seeing the look of panic in my face she nodded and flew of instantly. I went in the opposite direction. Between the two of us finding him shouldn't be too hard.

It was another five minutes before I heard a scream. A girl's scream.

"Lessa!" I followed the struggling ki, and came across the scene within seconds. Gohan was knocking Lessa about, but not in the way he would during training. He was relentless, animalistic even. It was then I noticed the blazing red pupil.

"Hey Piccolo, I found him" Lessa smiled weakly before coughing up blood. For some reason that filled me with anger. Gohan slammed a fist into Lessa's gut before tossing her aside and leaping away between the mountains.

"Christ Lessa, are you okay?" She slumped to the floor, blood dripping from her mouth and nose.

"That kid sure has got some power when he's angry huh" I used a finger to collect the blood pooling at her lips.

"Don't worry, I'll find him"

"Piccolo…look up" I lifted my eyes to the sky and was shocked by what I saw.

"But its.."

"A moon" She finished.

"I don't know how it got there but there's only one thing to do with it" I raised my arm, preparing to blast that fucking thing to hell; but a tug on my bicep stopped me.

"No..it's not real"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but it's a projection. Can't you see the paleness, its so pale its practically transparent" Come to think of it, it was too pale. The black space could be seen through it.

"Well it makes no difference, I'll find him and beat some sense into him" Lessa shifted onto her knees, before standing on shaking legs.

"Then I'll find the source of the projection. With it destroyed he should go back to normal"

"Are you sure your up to it?"

"It takes more than a beating to keep me down Piccolo" She winked before gathering her ki and flying south.

I wasn't exactly sure, but looking at the angle of the moon's position, the projecter had to be somewhere south.

And I was in luck. About 2 miles from where I left Piccolo, I spotted the wreckage of a space pod between two boulders. At first I thought it was Raditz's old pod, but then I realized that had been left elsewhere. It was almost identical though.

I wonder…perhaps this is the pod Goku arrived in all those years ago.

It sure was the source of the projection though. It looked like the door had been rammed open by an animal of sorts, causing a projection of the moon to be cast over the sky. This must have been the intention of the dreaded saiyan race for the baby kakarot. That secret weapon Raditz had talked so much about. It was horrifying. How they could do such things to a baby. Forcing them to change into such a horrible transformation. Maybe it was for the best that the race had only four surviving descendants.

So, if I just destroy the pod, the projection should go.

'You hope'

'Well it's the only idea I've got, although do feel free to jump in if you think you have a better one'

'Personally, you should be more concerned about Piccolo'

'Why?' A sense of foreboding filled the air like perfume, and then there was a massive roar. An all too familiar roar.

"Holy crap he's transformed"

There was a crack as the earth around me began to split, and then rocks came crashing down around me. Gohan was trashing the place like before, and that trashing was getting very close to me.

"Destroy the damn pod" I heard Piccolo yell from somewhere in front of me, before a boulder came rolling down the nearest mountain.

"I hate being rushed to do stuff" I muttered but I gathered the energy for white fire anyway. I had no view of where I was aiming, but wherever it was I hoped Piccolo had moved. My eyesight went a blinding white before my muscles ripped and the energy came spewing out.

As my whole world burned, there was a sudden impact into my back; my ribs snapping as I flew straight into a welcoming embrace of rock. Most likely curtsey of Gohan.

It was a lot later before my eyesight returned, and by then Piccolo had dealt with the unconscious Gohan and returned him to camp. By dealing with him, I meant he had ripped out his tail again which had mysteriously returned.

"Need a hand Lessa?" Piccolo had returned, and his concern was genuine as he walked over to me. I guess I probably looked like a right mess. Blood was in my hair and all over my face. I really should have been harder on Gohan in training, cause maybe then I would have been prepared to use my full power against him. Piccolos arms slid under my back and lifted me of the ground, pressing me into his warm chest.

I was too exhausted to fight the feelings I had for this creature. And I honestly hoped he wouldn't want to try anything, cause if he did…I'd cave in and cheat on Cherry. And I wasn't even ashamed to admit it. What kind of person was i.

"Lessa, just relax. I'll make sure you get better"

"Thanks Piccolo" I felt the comforting warmth of the campfire as Piccolo placed me down gently by it. I could hear Gohan's deep breathing from the other side.

Piccolo sat beside me, absentmindedly stroking my hair. I sunk into the hypnotic rhythm of his strokes, sort of wishing they were somewhere else. His hands were so soft, and yet strong in battle.

"You know, Gohan's going to be unconscious for a few hours. Nothings going to wake him"

"So?"

"We're alone"

"So we are" I felt his head dip in closer, his cheek brushing mine as his lips found my ear.

"I want to try the thing you call sex Lessa" His whisper made my heartbeat quicken instantly, and my lips parted slightly as I imagined him kissing them.

I must have closed my eyes to, cause he hesitated above me for a moment before pressing his mouth to mine.

I had never felt so high-strung in my life. It wasn't fireworks that was for sure, but there was a growing spark that got stronger with every second his lips moved with mine. We developed a pattern that was broke too soon.

"I don't know if Im strong enough to do this Piccolo" His eyes glittered like the stars.

"Just tell me what to do and I'll do it" I took a deep breath, this was really happening.

I looked like shit and he still wanted me. I would be his first to. No matter how drained I was, I was determined to make this a good experience for him. It was only fair.

So I put my hand where it felt best to him, alternating between soft strokes and hard ones before slipping my hands in the waistband of his pants, pulling them down and away from us.

"I thought you weren't strong enough to do this"

"I'm strong enough to undress you Piccolo" He was sprung the same as any human male would be, except green. And he was the biggest I had ever seen. Warm liquid pooled into my pants, a warm liquid that soon be all over the thing he called his strange part.

"May I undress you Lessa?" I was going to come right now if he didn't stop talking..

"Go ahead" He even took my clothes of with care, and as an added bonus, flicked his tongue over each bit of new skin exposed.

I pushed him of my naked body and almost tore of his top. Thank god he'd already removed the cape and his turban. He fell back and I took the opportunity to slide my own tongue down his chest before taking him in my mouth and sucking gently. He made a noise that almost sounded like purring.

"Goddamn Lessa, you make me feel so many things I've never felt before"

"Well when you live in solitude in a wasteland what do you expect" I had only taken my mouth away for two seconds before he leaped on me, forcing me to be the one on my back.

I felt fingers probing the wet slit that was dying to have him inside and his lips were back on mine again. I couldn't help moaning into his kiss as his fingers went inside.

On instinct I rubbed myself against his hand, pushing his fingers deeper inside.

And then the fingers were gone. He was still kissing me, but I tried to pull away. I wanted those fingers back.

He broke the kiss, propping himself just above me, his eyes burning into mine.

"I think I know what I need to do now Lessa" His hips shifted forward, and in just one stroke I accepted his strange part into me.

The stretching was like nothing I had ever felt before, and I knew it was too late to hold it back. He didn't last long either, his hips desperately grinding into mine as we both did the wrong thing.

Yet it felt so right.


	11. Chapter 10- Denial

Chapter 10- Denial

"I have gotten a lot better though haven't I Lessa?" Gohan asked as me and him were throwing punch after punch, neither of us landing a hit.

"Well kid, you want some praise, you gotta earn it"

"Okay" He said cheerfully and suddenly disappeared before grabbing one of my legs and swinging me round and round. Just before my stomach threatened to bring up my lunch, he released me, promising me a full speed flight into the next mountain.

I waited till my head stopped spinning and forced my ki sideways, taking me out of my course of the mountain. But apparently Gohan wasn't done and before I had time to formulate a counter attack he slammed his elbow into my stomach; knocking me flat out on the dirt.

"Alright kid, you get your praise. You're a lot better than I thought. You happy now?"

"Yes Lessa" And Gohan continued to smile so sweetly it was sickening.

"Piccolo, beat the crap out of him will you"

"Sure thing Princess" I heard him stifle back a laugh.

"And you can stop calling me Princess unless you want me to kick you where it hurts"

"You have to catch me for that"

"I'm sure it won't be hard"

"Are you referring to something else now" I rolled my eyes.

"What gives you that idea?"

"Maybe I'll tell you later"

"You wish" Gohan watched our banter bemusedly. Being five, he had no idea of the sexual references behind our words, but we were getting on with each other; and that seemed to make the kid more happy than anything else.

Obviously I'd created a monster, everytime night hit and Gohan fell asleep, Piccolo was ready for sex like nothing else. He wasn't even worried about Gohan waking up and catching us either. In fact the thrill seemed to turn him on even more.

Not that I had any complaints. He was very good at what he did, and we were very good at denying any feelings that weren't purely sexual.

The rules had been laid out. It was mutual gain. And a way of dealing with sexual frustration. Anything else had no bearing on it. Even if we did care for each other. Once the year was up, we'd defeat the saiyans, and I'd be on my way.

There was nothing else to it.

"Lessa? You gonna come out of dreamland and eat something or what?"

"Huh?" I spied the steaming fish that were in Piccolo's hands.

"Christ, how long was I out?" Piccolo snapped one of the fish in half, sucking up the juices and crunching on the spine before handing me the mangled remains.

"About an hour" There was another snap as some poor fish lost all feeling in its body. Then again, it was hopefully already dead. I had a policy against eating living fish.

"Sorry about that, guess I was more tired than I thought" My cheeks went red as some of the fish blood dripped out of Piccolo's mouth.

"Mr Piccolo, could you help me please"

"Why"

"I fell in the river and can't get out" Piccolo tossed aside the fish he was chewing and sighed.

"For gods sake, its not even that deep" I closed my eyes again, listening as the sand crunched under his shoes as he trudged over to the river. I heard a loud splash as Gohan was lifted from the water and then a whistle of the air and a groan as Gohan was hurled into some rocks.

"I told you kid, you need to learn to do things for yourself" I smiled. Same old Piccolo.

Trust him to help him out and then bruise him for his trouble.

The wood crackled as the flames licked heavily at the bark, spitting out pieces of charred tree every now and then when someone least expected it. It was silent otherwise, sleep descending heavily in the air.

Even I was tired for once, yawning every five minutes. Causing a chain reaction within Gohan and Lessa.

"Mr Piccolo?"

"Yes Gohan?"

"You know, you don't need to fight my dad anymore when we defeat the saiyans right?" As I brooded silently, Gohan took confidence from it.

"Cause you've changed. Your not the mean old Piccolo you used to be" He nodded to himself.

Anger welled up inside me. How could he say I wasn't mean anymore. I still beat him up every day. And I was still determined to convince myself I would take over this planet when the saiyans were gone. How dare this little pipsqueak try and tell me any different.

"Lessa's like my auntie now and your like my big green uncle mr Piccolo" The word uncle was to much. Confused feelings weren't something I wanted when this was over. I refused to get attached.

"Shut up Gohan" I roared. "Be quiet and go to sleep. Stop entertaining yourself with such stupid ideas" Gohan was startled but obediently did as I said and rolled away from me, shielding his tears from my angry eyes.

Across from me Lessa glared disapprovingly.

"That was harsh Piccolo. He only spoke the truth. Why don't you stop denying it to yourself and grow up. Cause even I can tell you've changed since I met you"

She gave me one last glare before turning away from me and curling up for sleep.

Was I really that wrong?

"Look kid, you've mastered your close combat skills, I think its about time you did the same with ki attacks" Piccolo was up early this morning, barking out orders to Gohan like last night had never happened. Gohan seemed all too happy to forget it; I wouldn't though. I'd sat on this same rock for three hours straight, arms folded and stomach grumbling. I refused to eat any food that came from Piccolo's hands.

He'd been too cruel last night.

It was a little later before Gohan was beat down. Piccolo was faster at throwing ki than he was with his punches, and Gohan didn't stand a chance of dodging them.

Gohan wasn't very good at throwing them either. He didn't seem to want to attack his precious Piccolo.

Gohan was on the edge of a cliff, panting on his knees as Piccolo watched him with unmerciful eyes.

"Lessa, why don't you jump in" Piccolo didn't look at me as he said, but there was unspoken words in his eyes.

I wasn't going to do this for him.

'That's right, just keep telling yourself your doing it for the kid even though your not'

I got up, and stalked slowly towards the kid before stopping five metres away from him. He turned his puppy dog eyes on me and one of the broken pieces I had left turned to stone.

It wasn't him I saw, it was Marissa.

I flew at him, ramming him of the cliff. He clung on with one chubby hand and before I could do anything; I was picked up and thrown away. Piccolo stepped in, placing his brown boot on Gohan's hand.

The same way you would stub a cigarette in the ground was the way Piccolo treated his hand. Loosening and loosening until it broke free and the kid free-falled it down the mountain side.

Dust filled the breeze as Gohan started trying to scrabble his way back up. Now it was Piccolo's turn to glare at me.

"Piccolo..please just help this one time..i can't get up the mountain" Gohan whined. I'd forgotten the kid couldn't fly yet.

"You never have to help me again…Piccolo!"

Piccolo sighed deeply.

"He's never gonna get stronger like this. He'll never be able to face the saiyans. All these months have been wasted.

There's no hope anymore. Humanity is over" Piccolo slumped down onto the ground, his head between his hands.

I tilted my head.

"Wow Piccolo, never thought you'd be the one to give up like this. It's not over til its over. You of all people should know that… I heard about the battle you had with Goku. No matter how lost it seemed, you never gave up until it was truly over. I was right, you have changed.

Perhaps not for the good. I thought you were better than this" He looked up, those piercing black eyes like daggers.

"I am better than this. But the kid is like a lost cause"

"Many things are a lost cause Piccolo, but if we gave up on those lost causes some of us wouldn't be here today"

"You sound like you have experience of that"

I scuffed my boots in the sand, watching the birds in the sky. Those things looked free, but they were caged too. There was a certain height of which they could go, and no further.

"Sadly Piccolo, my whole life was a lost cause until just over a year ago" It was those words that made me realize something.

I'd missed my seventeenth birthday.

Yet I felt nothing.

Birthdays were just the marking of another year you'd lived. The day you were brought into the world.

For most it was a celebration, for me a curse.

Birthdays always surprised me. They meant I had somehow survived another year.

"Why do you never speak of your past?"

"There is nothing to speak of"

"Then we have something in common"

"What's that then"

"We're both in denial"


	12. Chapter 11- Eye of the storm

Chapter Eleven- Eye of the storm

"I'm still your enemy Gohan"

"Your not"

"Yes I am"

"Hey guys, shut up and look at the sky" I crossed my arms, bracing myself for the sudden storm that was brewing suddenly along the sky. Black menacing clouds billowed above us, and the chill that usually didn't affect us numbed me straight to the skin.

It was strange, for it had been early morning, but now it was like the depths of night. There was no rain, and a strange golden thunderbolt snaked up the sky about 100 miles away.

"Wow, I've never seen a storm roll in so fast"

"That's no storm, that's the eternal dragon being summoned" Piccolo gazed at the clouds with distaste. That could only mean one thing.

"My dad is getting wished back to life?" Gohan couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice but Piccolo frowned.

"I guess so Gohan" But it didn't spell the reason as to why Piccolo seemed so morose about it. Did he really hate the guy that much.

"Lessa, can I talk to you alone for a minute"

"Of course" I left Gohan jumping on the balls of his feet and followed Piccolo into a crevice in the mountain.

"What's wrong Piccolo, and don't bullshit around it, I can tell when your lying"

"If Goku is being wished back to life now then that can only mean the saiyans are going to be here earlier than we thought"

"How early?"

"Like tomorrow early. That's not the point. Gohan isn't ready for this"

"Piccolo.." I stepped behind him and placed my arms on his shoulders, resting my head on his shoulder blade. I had no other way of reassuring him, for it was the harsh truth.

Yes, the kid could match us evenly in fighting, no, he couldn't inflict serious damage on us. Although that may be more to do with the fact he saw us as friends and not enemies. I hoped like anything he would be different with the saiyans.

For Piccolo's sake.

Piccolo turned silently and wrapped his arms around me, embracing me in a way he never had before. The sorrow in his soul was something that didn't come from selfish desires.

We stayed the same as the storm slowly passed.

Taking our hopes along with it.

Morning was a bleak grey, just like our moods.

Today was a repeat of my first fated day here.

Except I knew what I was in for this time.

Two metallic pods tore through the sky, leaving a blazing trail of fire in their wake. I could feel the malice of the people inside; and their achievement at finally getting here.

And then…a feeling like no other.

"Those power levels, I've never felt anything so strong!" It was worse then any nightmare could have prepared us for. Those monstrous power levels were of the scale.

Those things were going to land here, they were going to destroy this planet.

_It was over._


	13. Chapter 12- Saiyans little army

Chapter Twelve- Saiyans little army

As the earth still steamed from the newly landed pods, a section of them cracked away from the rest and hit the ground with a muffled thump, inside each was a dark shadow, the second bigger than the first. The innocent people of the city were gathered in silence, watching in curious terror as the shadows raised themselves and clambered out from the pods.

As sunlight struck them, a lady screamed. Hushed whispers grew louder as the people wondered aloud.

Both shadows were man, one a small but imposing figure, the other large and also, imposing. The smaller had an arrogant look apon his face, blue leather clinging to his muscled form and black spiky hair that made up for inches of his shortness. The bigger one was pure armour and muscle, twice the width of his comrade. As they surveyed the humans in distaste, the larger one lifted a hand, and the whole city exploded with a flash of white.

"Holy crap did you feel that?"

"How horrible, all those people died within the second" Gohan was trembling, having felt the ki of millions of people die all at once. There was no doubt about it, those saiyans meant business.

"That power..its worse than I could ever have imagined. I don't even think it was a strain for them either" Piccolo had a hand on Gohan's shoulder, so lost in his own shock he'd forgotten that he wasn't trying to get close to Gohan.

My muscles ached already, as if they knew they could not win this fight. The overwhelming power levels were now on the move and as Piccolo opened his mouth to speak, I already feared the dreaded words.

"Gohan, get ready, those saiyans are coming for us and there not looking for directions"

"But why us mr Piccolo?"

"Because we're the strongest power levels on the planet" Yeah, like that was reassuring. Compared to the mindless humans on this planet, it wasn't exactly a huge achievement to have the highest power levels here.

Blackbirds cawed above us, scattering to make way for a shadowy figure that floated down the plateau beside us. But it wasn't a saiyan, the power was too weak.

"Oh it's you" Piccolo rolled an eye as the figure came into sight. It was the bald guy in the orange jumpsuit from months ago, Krillin I think his name was.

"Hey there guys, thought you could use a hand" Ever the dim-witted one, he was smiling as his feet touched the dusty earth. Piccolo smirked.

"If you insist. Your almost as powerful as Gohan here so I suppose you may be useful" That slapped the smile right of his face.

"But Gohan's a five year old, how can he be stronger than me"

"He's a saiyan, what do you expect" Baldie shot a glare at Gohan before pulling him to the side.

"Say kid, how bad was the training with Piccolo" He'd tried to whisper but the wind was not in his favor and blew his words away from him.

Gohan scratched his head thoughtfully and smiled.

"It was actually pretty fun, mr piccolo taught me a lot of things" Krillin smiled doubtfully.

"Not sure a kidnapping is supposed to be fun Gohan.."

"You two, be quiet, we've got company"

"Oh hey Lessa" Krillin waved in acknowledgement.

"I meant the saiyans.."

"Oh..well crap"

"Hey look vegeta, it's that guy that killed Raditz. I didn't realize he was a namekian"

"A what?" Krillin looked from the two descending monsters to Piccolo in confusion. Piccolo didn't look surprised though, but why would he be. You'd have to be retarded to think he was a human.

"He means I'm an alien"

"Well, let's be honest, we all knew that one"

"Well then, why don't we get straight to the point. Where are the dragonballs namekian" The smaller male in blue asked, the wind ruffling his spiky black hair. I suppose he was meant to look intimidating, but actually he looked kind of hot.

'Oh don't even start that one, he wants to kill you remember'

'Well maybe not me in particular, I'm sure a guy like him could use some sex every once in a while'

'Yeah, I'm sure he's got a bunch of harem whores waiting for him back at home'

'What happened to Piccolo, you got bored of him already? I didn't realize your interests faded so quickly'

'Like you'd understand Serquet, it's not like you ever get any'

'Who says I don't' I had to mentally roll my eyes at that one.

'You live in my body like twenty four seven. Besides your. Well..'

'I'm what?'

'A crusty old hag?'

'Melanie!'

'What? It's true'

'Well fuck you too'

"I'm not going to ask again" Oh, right. The saiyans were here. Almost forgot about that one.

"Like we'd tell you" Piccolo snarled.

"Really? Shame, looks like I'll have to find out the hard way. Nappa, you know what to do" He looked expectantly towards the other saiyan, who was pretty much a bigger; more bulkier version of cracked his knuckles and his eyes gleamed menancingly.

"I'm gonna have fun beating you guys up" Vegeta slapped a palm to his face.

"The scouter Nappa.."

"Ohhh right" Nappa brought out a scouter; an exact replica of the one Raditz had, and fastened it across his left eye. As numerals flashed across the screen, Nappa grinned.

"1010, 1130,1300 and 1400..not even a threat vegeta" Vegeta wasn't satisfied though.

"Take of your scouter, they can hide there power levels" He seemed bored.

"They still look weak though" Nappa unclipped the scouter, discarding it to the sand.

"They are. I wouldn't put them at any more than 3000 each. I think we should have a little game to test them though… How many saibamen do we have Nappa"

Because apparently this was some kind of a joke. I could see Krillin was about to protest but Piccolo shushed him with a long green finger.

"Listen up, if we play their game we can buy ourselves more time. Goku should be getting here anytime soon and if anyone is going to take these saiyans down it will be him"

"Way to put some faith in us Piccolo" But he did have a point. Goku had been doing some sort of training with a god or something according to Piccolo's counterpart Kami, so he was bound to be a lot stronger than us.

"Well Vegeta, we should still have six from when we eliminated that planet about a year ago"

"Alright then, plant the saibamen"

"What in gods name are you on about" I placed both hands on my hips, watching as Nappa pulled a small brown bag and a vial full of green liquid from his chest armour. No one dared to stop him as he bent down and scraped six holes in the earth, or when he placed a tiny seed in each one.

Not even at the final moment, when he opened the vial and emptied two drops onto each seed.

Nothing made sense until the seeds sprouted, and six hellish creatures grew from the very earth itself.

"Wow, those things are ugly"

"You said it Gohan" The creatures were green and scaly. With claws and fangs to make up for their lack of height, reaching up to Gohan's four foot one. And yes, as Gohan so blatantly put it, they were ugly motherfuckers.

Each creature smiled mischievously, and cackled in sync, before speedily spinning around us, blurring our view of them as white energy blazed and the mountains and plateaus beside us crumbled and came apart.

As quickly as they had started, they stopped. Their plan for intimidation had worked.

"So...two saibamen each?" Piccolo glanced unamusedly between me and krillin.

"I got the left ones, I think there the ugliest"

"That leaves me with the right ones" Vegeta smirked.

"Then let the games begin"


	14. Chapter 13- The battle begins

Chapter Thirteen- The battle begins

Looking around at the gaggle of green monstrosities, Gohan radiated terror in waves.

"I can't do this mr Piccolo, I'm too scared!" the last word came out as a cry and he attempted to position himself behind piccolos left leg. A saibamen grinned evilly at him but made no move. Clearly they were under the control of the saiyans.

I couldn't honestly understand Gohan's fear. Yes, he was a small child but the things he'd seen and done over the past eleven months should have aged him. The only scary thing about these creatures were their looks. Their power levels were like Raditz's, and for us, that was nothing to worry about. Besides, Krillin, Piccolo and me had already agreed to take these monsters for ourselves. He really had nothing to fear.

Piccolo shifted his glare onto Gohan, and swooped one arm down to tug the kid of his trouser-leg.

"Get a grip kid, we've got worse things coming. Just sit down and cry your pathetic little heart out whilst we adults deal with the plants" His tone was patronizing and harsh, one of a man who was utterly fed up. As for calling those things plants, well he kinda had a point. They did grow from a seed in the ground after all.

Gohan's eyes watered and a tear slipped loose before he slumped down onto his bottom. His eyes gleaned betrayal on Piccolo's behalf.

"For gods sake, Lessa, you're a woman. Do something with him will you" I bit back my tongue before I said something of sexism. Dropping onto my haunches, I placed a hand through Gohan's matted hair.

Another tear dropped into the dust before he looked up. Completely vulnerable, what the boy needed was his father.

"Gohan, I know its tough, but we're relying on you to try and be strong. For your dad, for us; your friends. I know you may not think you have much use but you have an incredible hidden strength and if we all fight together, we have a chance of winning this thing, or at least stalling them til your father gets here. You'd like that wouldn't you? Your father to be proud of how much you've grown" I was going to add that he would be lucky to have a father to be proud of him, that I had never had that proud-ness in my entire life; but it was no use. I had left the humans long behind, and getting angry over a past that could not be changed was something I did not need at this moment.

Especially when revenge was not an option. They were already rotting in a world of hell and had most likely forgotten about me at the first possible opportunity.

Trapped in my own thoughts, I didn't notice the new power levels heading straight for us. Not until one of them crudely shouted down at us anyway.

"Hey guys, what's up? Thought we'd come and help you with the saiyans you know" Wonderful. From what I could see as three figures floated down in the glare of the sun, we had another idiot in an orange jumpsuit; although he had a huge mane of hair to make up for Krillin's lack of hair. And the other two was a midget kid that was paler than a ghost and looked like a china doll; and a tall muscled; bald guy. It seemed being bald was a popular thing around here. At least the third one looked like he could actually do some damage though.

"Who the hell are these idiots" As rude as it was of me to call them idiots, I still saw Piccolo smile.

"Their friends of Goku" Well go figure.

"Why am I not surprised" Krillin beamed a sickly grin and practically bounded over to the newcomers, slapping hands with his fellow jumpsuit friend.

"Hey Yamcha, Tien and Chiatzu, long time no see huh?" The taller bald one didn't speak, instead surveying the saiyans.

"Good to see you Krillin, we heard about Goku, shame huh" Not that Yamcha seemed to be overly concerned about Goku. Clearly these bunch of lunatics had a history that went a long way back.

"Yeah but he'll be back though, he did some super special training with these guy called king kai and now he's on his way to help us defeat the saiyans" Yamcha brushed back a lock of thick black hair and smirked as he finally saw the non-smiling saiyans.

"Well they don't look much of a challenge, I think bulma exaggerated a bit when she called us away from our training. I bet I could take all of them on by myself"

"So I was right, he is the stupid one" I murmured, only loud enough for Piccolo's sensitive ears to pick it up. I could see he was holding back a laugh.

"Well its look like all the planet's idiots have finally turned up, and look there's six of them and six saibamen. Why don't we play a little game" The one called vegeta eyed us humorously, and I was reminded of a cat that likes to play with its food.

"Uh actually there's seven of us" Chiatzu squeaked, hovering his tiny body above Tien's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I don't count china dolls as people" Chiatzu opened his mouth as if to speak but then snapped it shut hastily.

"As I was saying, how about a little game of one on one?" His eyes shined with a dark fire, and I don't think he was giving us a choice. His eyes flickered over my body and a shiver ran up my spine. Yes, he exumed pure evil, but that didn't fail to make my panties wet.

"Get stuffed, we're not playing your stupid game" I could almost see the muscles in Piccolo's throat preparing him to growl.

"Whoa hang on a sec Piccolo, perhaps this would be a good idea. It would buy us some more time for Goku to arrive" Krillin flapped his arms hastily, trying to shield Piccolo from the saiyans as if they would unheard his words by not seeing him.

"Well if that's the case, then I'll go first" Tien had a low, deadly voice and everything fell silent when he spoke. He flexed his biceps, eyebrows lowered as Vegeta pushed forward a particularly cocky saibamen.

"Don't hold anything back" Vegeta informed the saibamen coldly.

No one objected as both parties flew towards each other and threw punches. Both were almost equal in speed, and as the saibamen's punches failed to phase Tien, he quickly turned his attention to us.

I saw it before it was too late, the creatures skull splitting open to release a spurting white liquid, that although looked harmless, steamed as though deadly.

All of us moved except Gohan, the liquid heading straight for him. Piccolo sighed loudly and as soon as his feet hit the ground he sprinted towards Gohan, picking him up and throwing both of them to the ground just a second before it would have hit. There was an audible laugh from Vegeta before the ground sizzled and literally dropped away to reveal a great gaping chasm the length of three buses.

Thank god Piccolo had got there in time.

The saibamen had turned in arrogance, thinking Tien would be distracted enough for him to examine his work. He rubbed his claws together, giving a cry of outrage before Tien slammed into his side, his eyes bulging as Tien's fists pounded into him. Tien gave of a silent rage and left no part uninjured before he threw the lifeless body to the ground.

The saibamen still lived, but barely as it struggled to cling onto life. He could not fight back and Tien knew it. Flexing his muscles again as he turned and walked back to us.

"Well that was disappointing. Obviously we have a weak bunch" Nappa looked the picture of concern as he watched the saibamens claws scrape the dust feebly.

"But vegeta, they all have the same power level as Raditz"

"Well then that's our problem isn't it" Vegeta shot a look of malice towards the fallen saibamen, raising his hand, with the palm facing flat outwards. Ki bubbled up and shot out, destroying the saibamen and the patch of earth it lay on with it.

"What did you do that for!? He was still alive!" Nappa cried, lines of anguish stretched across his cheeks. Vegeta smiled, his eyes betraying the true meaning of a smile.

"I told him not to hold anything back and he did. Be that a lesson to the rest of you" He addressed the saibamen, each cawing in hurried assurance that they wouldn't hold back. At least I assumed that's what they were saying. To my ears it was all just a load of squeaks and shrieks.

"Alright, its my turn now" Yamcha slipped a fist across his chest, pushing it out proudly and strutting his way forwards.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea? I could have a go you know" Krillin offered, wording kindly that even he thought he was incapable.

Yamcha flashed his teeth.

"Don't worry Krillin, if anything happens to me I can be wished back by the dragonballs. You've already died once so you won't be wished back. Besides, I could take on all of these losers if I wanted"

'He's going to die'

'Yup' The next largest saibamen leapt forward and the two wasted no time in engaging each other. Yamcha was of to a good start, in fact their speed was so extreme that my eyes were constantly moving in order to watch them. They flickered from rock to rock, matching evenly in close combat.

"What's going on?" Gohan asked and as I turned to look at him I saw his eyes were not bobbing around the same way everyone else's was. He couldn't see them. Piccolo tore his eyes away from Yamcha and nodded. I returned my eyes to the battle but left my ears listening to what words of wisdom Piccolo would offer the kid.

"Alright Gohan, now you know how to sense energy don't you?"

"Yes mr Piccolo"

"Now keep track of where you sense their energy, and use all of your senses to see the energy. Don't just use your eyes, feel them out, hear them" Just as Gohan latched onto them, Yamcha disappear with a blur and as the saibamen twisted left and right to find him, he came from above. Cracking into his skull and slamming him straight to the dust. He twitched before stilling, and it seemed as though he was dead.

Yamcha dropped down, giving the saibamen the once over before turning his back and pointing a thumbs up towards us.

The air turned dark, the particles weighing heavily all of a sudden.

"Don't you worry guys, I'll take on the other four by myself" He assured us.

"Damn it, I hate it when the other team is winning" Nappa moaned petulantly.

"Oh I wouldn't count our team out of the battle just yet" Vegeta said coyly, tilting his head. Yamcha ignored his words and out of nowhere, the saibamen leaped from his grave and wrapped himself around Yamcha's chest from behind. Yamcha let out a startled cry and began squirming, trying to detach the saibamen. It grinned before linking its claws together and ki started to envelope Yamcha.

It only took a second, as energy reached its bursting point and the two brawlers exploded.

Smoke brew up as Yamcha's lifeless body hit the ground face down, and bits of saibamen smacked down beside him.

Although I knew pride came before a fall, my heart panged at a loss that could have been avoided. Suffered by the unjust of a saibamens cowardly suicide. Krillin had lost a friend and I warily stepped away as his rage began to boil. The air was no longer heavy, instead the particles were steaming. Krillin ignored us all, slowly but steadily stepping over to the remains.

"Damn it, a draw is boring, let's get on with the next fight!" Nappa obviously had no feelings of remorse, and I felt a flicker of my own rage simmering.

"Wait a minute Nappa, let's give them a moment to clear the trash of the battlefield"

The particles popped and Krillin's forehead creased with five lines as he glared daggers at the enemy.

"The other four are mine, you hear me!" His teeth gritted together as he raised his arms above his head. The air became energy, and a steaming mass of white ki formed in his hands.

It was all or nothing.


	15. Chapter 14- China doll breaks

Chapter Fourteen- China doll breaks

No one was going to object. Sure, the guy had been mad when goku died but at least he had sacrificed himself and got the job done. Yamcha hadn't exactly sacrificed himself but he was gone now all the same. Even though the saibamen had been taken with him, it didn't do any justice. It was just one saibamen, and another four equally strong ones were still here. That was without the saiyans. I didn't have the heart to say it was to be expected.

Not even a self-pretentious idiot deserved that.

"Alright then, next saibamen" Nappa prodded the closest one in the back, pushing him forwards by a few centimeters. It smiled but only reluctantly.

"Didn't you hear me!? I'm taking you all on!" The words ripped out of clenched teeth before a massive storm of energy blazed high and exploded into four separate beams. The saibamen cawed and attempted to scatter each being a target. The extreme light seared through my eyes and I had to force my eyelids shut before they burnt out.

For sixty seconds, all there was was death screams. The ground tore itself up from underneath and it was all I could do to believe I wasn't going to plunge straight into the molten planet core.

Another sixty seconds before the land stopped thundering and it was quiet enough to hear my shallow breaths. I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder, and my body tingled.

"He did it" His tone was quiet, with a hint of awe. My arms wanted to clamp around him but I refrained, somehow disbelieving it was over. Piccolo should know by now that things were not this easy. My eyes slid open and embraced the natural light of day. It was less raw than the feral ki. I tipped my head side to side, taking in the debris. Krillin was breathing heavily where he had stood before, exhaustion dragging his stumpy frame down. Piccolo and Gohan flanked me, whilst Tien and Chiatzu spoke with gaze only besides Yamcha's still body.

The saibamen were eradicated, and the saiyans were now just a massive dust cloud. Yet it still felt like I'd seen this before.

Behind me a rock crumbled and the air seemed to screech as something launched itself at Gohan.

The saibamen had its arms outstretched, the kid almost within reach before a green limb clamped down out of nowhere.

Piccolo flashed teeth before flinging the saibamen up high and spitting a ball of ki. He was dead before he knew it, and all within a split second. Gohan trembled as saibamen skin melted and Piccolo straightened his spine.

"Well that's the last of them, Nice one Krillin" Tien said, breaking into a slight curl of the lips for the first time since he'd been here.

I was still in shock from being paralyzed to help Gohan, and even worse so as two figures made their way out of a disassembling dust cloud. Piccolo's hand returned to my shoulder and squeezed with nails as the saiyans chuckled to themselves.

Neither of them had a single burn, not even on their uniforms.

"Well that game ended rather quickly don't you think?" Nappa's eyes narrowed as he watched our reactions.

"I guess I'll have to do the dirty work then, if that's okay with you Vegeta?" He looked down his side at Vegeta, waiting for his consent. How strange that the smaller one was in charge. Maybe they went by looks rather than brawn.

"Do whatever you want Nappa, just don't kill the namekian" Vegeta scowled and stormed over to a jutting stump of rock, plonking himself down and placing his heads within his hands. He portrayed a very bored man.

"How dare they treat our lives as a game!" Krillin was his boisterous self again, but his words died out in volume as Nappa strutted a cat walk length in front of us.

"So, who wants to be first?" His eyes slipped and found Krillin who gaped at the rippling mass of muscles. "How about you?.." Krillin gulped, his adams apple bobbing. Nappa winked and air smacked my nose as Nappa suddenly flew past. Piccolo roared and slammed his side, Nappa swatting him away like he was nothing but a pesky fly. A rib snapped as Piccolo hit the ground groaning.

"Mr piccolo!" Nappa turned his back on Krillin, setting his eyes on Gohan and me. The muscles rippled like a shock wave, and yellow ki crackled around the bulked form. His grinning only got wider as the sun disappeared behind endless black clouds.

The planet shook as lightning began throwing itself around the clouds, and Nappa beamed a full on grin as it crackled down to meet his skin.

Chiatzu's small frame trembled as he floated up high, Tien watching from the corner of his eye. He wanted to say something, but it was too risky. Nappa sweeped his eyes over us again as if noting the tension, and his view caught on chiatzu.

"Oh no you don't" Chiatzu squealed but placed his hands out anyway, glowing with blue energy. Nappa lifted up again, streaking towards chiatzu and knocking him senseless with a flick of the wrist. Chiatzu fell and wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon.

"And your next" Nappa said before Tien hurtled forwards. The lightning crackled and Nappa's arm met Tien's elbow. The lightning sliced through like butter, separating a bellowing Tien from his lower arm. My own arm ached dully as if to share the pain. I wanted to help, but Piccolo's arm was getting so tight it was going to cut of my circulation any minute now.

"Let me fight goddamit" Piccolo shook his head.

"I don't want to see that happen to you Lessa"

"If you don't let me go you'll have to watch that happen to everyone" I tugged my shoulder but his grip meant business.

"I can't.." Tien sank to his knees, clutching the bleeding stump whilst Nappa watched with a gleam in those deep water eyes. Nappa swung his leg around Tien's torso, winding him into lying down.

"I think..if we get his tail we may have a chance of winning this" Piccolo suggested. It was then I noticed Nappa had a thick length of fur wrapped around his gigantic waist.

"Alright, then lets not waste a second" Krillin stood up tall before running over to Nappa. The saiyan; crouched over Tien, didn't even flinch as Krillin threw a ball of ki and instead threw his own wave of lightning at Krillin.

"Oh god.." I clamped a hand over my eyes, I couldn't watch anymore.

"Lessa, he's not dead" I blinked open one eye, cautiously accessing the damage of this time. He wasn't aiming for Krillin after all. His energy had instead wiped out half the planets crust in front of us. The hole stretched for a mile, and the bottom even further. It was lucky he hadn't hit the magma.

"Don't you try helping your little friend now, not when me and him are just starting to get acquainted" Another evil smirk. Krillin hovered around the simmering edge, as if unsure what to do. Apparently everyone had forgotten how to fly.

'Or maybe they just don't want to get smacked down into the never-ending hole'

"Piccolo, we have to do something"

"Well its not like we can get close enough to actually grab his damn tail" Piccolo snapped, his finger cracking as he released his grip.

"This isn't my fault!" I protested.

"Well have you got any ideas? No, didn't think so"

"Fuck you Piccolo, just cause you're the only one they don't want to kill"

"Um guys.."

"What!" We both turned furiously on Gohan, who was tentatively pointing towards Nappa.

"Um well, its Chiatzu" He stuttered, his eyes shining with fear. Nappa was still pounding into Tien, whilst Chiatzu was floating up behind him unnoticed. A quick glance at Vegeta showed him staring blankly at the dusty rocks.

"What is he doing" Chiatzu flashed a grim smile at Tien's back before latching onto a square of Nappa's rear armour. His tiny body barely covered half of the monstrosities back, but Nappa sure noticed he was there. His fists left Tien and instead went to swipe Chiatzu away but the eerie blue energy glowed and spread out, somehow resisting Nappa's arms.

"Get of me you little vermin!" Vegeta glanced up at Nappa's protest. Nappa caught his eye, and returned his arms to his front. Tien turned over just as Nappa blasted upwards. There were two gigantic pillars of rock either side of Nappa and he launched himself into one, making sure his back took the impact. As the rock's crumbled away, Chiatzu was still there, and his ki started to envelope the saiyan's back.

"Chiatzu, get down from there!" Tien cried. Nappa wasn't put of, and soon slammed into his next mountain. Gohan whimpered and lowered his head. Piccolo frowned and forcibly lifted it back up, his palm facing Gohan towards the struggle.

"Don't look away, honor him by at least doing that" But chiatzu wasn't dead..

"No! He can't" But it was fruitless. That eerie energy was going to take his life of his own will. Another suicide, but a bigger threat would be gone. I think Tien realized at the same time I did, for his expression grew a lot more desperate.

"Chiatzu! Don't do this!" Chiatzu shook his head and placed it flat on the contours of Nappa's back. Nappa had given up with the mountains and was now zooming down to us.

"Goodbye Tien.." The energy took over the whole of Nappa's body and exploded, leaving nothing but dust and a small white hat to come floating down to the ground.

A blood-curdling scream tore through my limbs, as the dust cleared and Nappa emerged wiping the dust from his nose.

"You bastard! Your going to pay for that!"

Chiatzu was gone, but Nappa wasn't.


	16. Chapter 15- Fighting Nappa

Chapter 15- Fighting Nappa

I sure did not want to be Tien right now. The guy literally had steam blowing from his ears. God knows what was going through his mind. Nappa had somehow survived Chiatzu's suicide. We were one person down, but still with two major threats. No one said it, but I could sense everyone was waiting on Goku. Everyone expected him to be stronger somehow.

Before I hadn't shared their enthusiasm, but even now I began to wonder. Death was staring us in the face. A part of me longed for the simple cheeriness Goku had seemed to exert when we met, the hope he installed in the others. And even if I didn't believe he could win us this fight, our chances would be higher with a guy like him around. Nappa smirked as he brushed himself of and lowered down to our level, whilst Tien sobbed quietly, pulling Chiatzu's hat between his fingers.

"You guys..i hate to ask but what the hell are we going to do?" Krillin was shaking, but it wasn't from rage anymore. Neither was it from the cold chill that had started to set in our bones as the afternoon blaze was over. Tien was still sobbing, Gohan was still in shock, so that left me or Piccolo to answer. There was nothing left for me to suggest. The tail plan was out of the question, we'd be slaughtered before we even got half a mile near it. Piccolo cleared his throat, gazing disdainfully at Gohan.

"We stand our ground, and we wait for Goku to get here" But will he get here though was the question I burned to ask. I held my tongue though, for Gohan's sake. The kid was still traumatized.

Tien sobbed for a moment more before the hat slipped from his mucled fingers. Slowly, a shake started to travel down his body, and the air was charged with unadulterated anger.

"Tien! Its no good!" What good will blinding rage do you..

Tien pounced to his feet, muttering blistering curses under his breath. He lurched forward, Nappa rushing to meet him; and their arms clashed. One arm and a shoulder against two fully working arms. Limb smacked on limb and each attack matched. Each hit was laced with tormented anguish. If Tien slipped from anger into mourning, he would be dead faster than it takes for toast to pop out of the toaster. The two slid closer to a small mountain, and Nappa feinted to the side before slipping back, causing Tien's arm to smash into the mountain beside them. It crumbled to blunt pieces of rock, Nappa using the opening to knee Tien in the groin.

I felt a jab in my obliques, forcing me to tear my eyes away from the fight; if you could call it that.

"I have a plan you three" Piccolo whispered, nudging Krillin and Gohan closer so they could hear. For the first time, I saw fear flicker in those black eyes of his. I craved to put my arms around him, but I knew affection was out of bounds. It would also most likely scare him.

"We're listening" Krillin said.

"Alright, whilst Nappa is distracted with Tien, Vikke will draw his attention away from the front-"

"-Oh great a death wish"

"- and me and Krillin will take him from behind and hit him with all our strength. Whilst he's hurtling towards the ground, Gohan will hit him with his strongest blast of ki" As good as the plan was, there was one big flaw. Gohan had that raw terrified look in his eyes again.

"Piccolo, are you sure it's a good idea to have Gohan finish him of?"

"Well, why not?" I sidled up to him, placing my hands on each shoulder and raising my lips to his ear.

"Well take a look at the kid for a start, he's one step from needing a change of clothes. I don't think he can do it"

"Well surely even he's not stupid enough to back out, it's our only option" We kept our voices low, and as I dropped back down onto my heels and took away my hands, Krillin and Gohan had a weird expression plastered on their faces. Oh right of course, they couldn't hear us, and that probably looked quite intimate from their point of view. We might as well have kissed and taken our clothes of by the way they were watching us.

'You'd think you'd set a children's hospital on fire'

'I wouldn't put it past her'

"So…you guys are together huh" Krillin rubbed his palm over the slickness of his bald head. I suddenly realized I hated the whiny pitch of his voice. Piccolo growled but said nothing.

"We're not together" I informed him, but my voice betrayed me. Piccolo's eyes flashed briefly across mine and I could tell I hadn't disguised the sadness in my voice. I wasn't sure why I felt sad. I loved Cherry. Sure I had feelings for Piccolo, more than what I should have; but that doesn't change it in the slightest.

"You know, that's a good plan you got there" I flushed at his intrusion but was glad for the distraction. Vegeta himself was smirking at us from his stump, Nappa still laying into Tien. Clearly he hadn't heard him, and I had an odd feeling that was Vegeta's intention. Either he wanted his teammate dead or he was confident that our plan wouldn't work. I didn't want to consider either.

"You won't be so cocky when Goku gets here" Krillin glowered. Vegeta curled his lip with amusement before turning his gaze back to the ground. A muffled sob drew my attention back to Tien. Nappa had retracted his fists and left his mangled body on the burning sand. I saw his eyes sweep over the rest of us suggestively before pacing past Tien. The clarity of what he was going to do hit a second just before he took to the air.

It was now or never.

The fact that I had no plan was just a minor aspect as I skirted forward, pounding my feet on the ground to draw as much attention as possible. Nappa tilted his head, watching me curiously as I ground to a halt, breathing hard as I gathered my wits. I had his attention, that was my part done. As Nappa rolled over in the air to set me as his target Piccolo and Krillin swooped around a jutting plateu before smashing into the back of Nappa. He hadn't seen it coming, and I breathed a sigh or relief as he hurtled down like a felled rocket. Our part was done, it was up to Gohan now. Speaking of the kid, where the hell was he?

A whimper from my right answered that question. He was stood under Nappa's rapidly approaching body, but instead of preparing the death blow he was cowering, knees shaking and eyes watering.

"Oh no.."

"HIT HIM NOW GOHAN!" Piccolo yelled and with that Gohan turned tail and ran, sealing all our fates in one go. As he trembled behind a rock, Nappa raised his head and smiled devilishly.

"EVERYONE, HIT HIM NOW!" Piccolo roared and all three of us simultaneously threw everything we had at the slowly stirring saiyan. As soon as the ki left my hands it was too late.

Nappa winked before flipping onto his side. Each energy blast missing by miles.

"Wow that was a close one, almost thought I was gonna be done in there if it wasn't for that pathetic kid of yours" He taunted.

"He's not mine" Piccolo spat out.

Nappa only gave a toothy smile in response and seeing our failed effort, Tien dropped his head, lamenting Chiatzu's name. The three of us returned to the ground and regrouped, Gohan joining us with a shameful look across his childish features.

"I can't believe I wasted my time with you" Was all Piccolo had to say. Krillin shot a sympathetic look his way but we were all disappointed. That had been the best opportunity so far to rid ourselves of the scumbag saiyan. Upon failing it we were now doomed.

"Don't forget Nappa, we need the namekian alive" Vegeta warned. Without looking, I felt the air grow tense as Nappa selected Krillin as the next victim.

"Split into three!" Piccolo commanded, a technique he had only shown me once.

"But doesn't that make us weaker!?" I protested, then silenced by his desperate glare. He wanted to go down fighting. It was understandable. Splitting into three was easier than I thought as the three of us became nine, and it was something I was considering doing more often providing I lived through this. Doubtful but life was all about hope.

We surrounded him in a cocoon of arms and legs but as pointed out, we were weaker and a devastating blow in the gut smacked me down to the ever-welcoming earth. Two thuds around me told me the others were the same way. The air whistled as two objects smacked into my back and slipped through my skin. I was whole again.

I forced my weight onto my arms, sitting up as Gohan ran crying to Piccolo. Piccolo groaned and stood, slamming a fist into the kid before knocking him away.

"I ain't got time to babysit kid" His voice was gruff but it was no disguise for the emotions underneath. Tough love. Gohan brushed away his childish tears before running over to a limp Tien, checking to see if he was still alive.

"ATTACK AGAIN!" I charged up a beam of energy, flinging it halfheartedly because I knew it wouldn't do any damage. Nappa took our ki like a trooper, and planted his boots firmly in the ground as electric buzzed round him again.

A body moved and Tien pushed himself of the ground feebly, raising an arm to his hallucination. He stilled for a moment and then rage flickered across his thin, bruised lips.

"I will avenge you Chiatzu" Tien stood up, his legs shaking only slightly. Nappa turned his sneer to Tien, watching him strain for ki. Despite being so close to death, the air grew thick, muffling me as his power emassed. I couldn't hear any more, but I could still see.

His arm raised, fingers spread, and golden light shot out towards Nappa. Within seconds his sneer was free of the dust and Tien sighed before collapsing on the dirt.

His energy hit zero. This time he was dead. Nausea choked my throat, another sacrifice for nothing.

"So much for that one" Heat flared up in my face. These saiyans need to be taught a lesson.

"It's all over.." Krillin sunk to his knees, his arms limp by his side. "Goku, where are you!?" Vegeta shuffled on his rock.

"We need to fight him on the ground, he has an advantage in the air" Like Piccolo wasn't stating the obvious. It wasn't like Nappa was going to just fight on the ground for us though. He hovered in the air, a smirk continuously plastered on his smug face. I closed my eyes, feeling his ki out as he turned and rocketed towards us.

"STOP!"

"What the?" Nappa had stopped suddenly in the air, Vegeta's order still ringing out.

For the first time a frown crossed Nappa's face.

"What the hell'd you do that for Vegeta?" He whined.

"I want to know who this Goku is. You seem to be placing all your hopes on him"

Right, of course. The lead saiyan must be bored with our pathetic efforts and is hoping for some action himself. There was no chance it could be fear, could it.

"Wait…don't tell me; he's Kakarot isn't he?" Our silence was enough answer.

"I can't believe you pathetic weaklings are relying on that scum saiyan to help you. Have you forgotten that Raditz killed him and we are much stronger than Raditz could even dream of" Actually Piccolo killed him but I guess that wasn't really going to swing in our favour.

"Yeah well he's got a lot stronger since then and he's going to teach you saiyans a lesson" Krillin boasted.

"Is that so?" Vegeta chuckled. "Very well. Nappa, take a break. Let's give these weaklings three hours for their precious Kakarot to show up"

"His name is Goku.."

"Forget it Vegeta, I've waited months for this" Nappa's muscles clenched as he prepared to tear through us like paper mache.

"Are you disobeying a direct order!?" Vegeta's words smacked warningly and fear flitted into Nappa's eyes. He stopped charging up instantly.

"Uh no, of course not Vegeta. Sorry Vegeta" He dropped to ground level before meekly trotting over to Vegeta and his rock.

I didn't like how much power this Vegeta had over Nappa.

I clasped my hands together and wished to the stars.

Please turn up Goku…before its too late.


	17. Chapter 16- It's a long wait

Chapter Sixteen- It's a long wait

We were safe, for three hours. Not something either side was pleased about if truth be told. I didn't want my death to be dragged out, and Nappa clearly wanted something between his hands if his clenching and un-clenching fists were anything to go on. Piccolo seemed unaffected however, shooting death glares at Gohan was his main concern.

"Don't be so harsh on the kid Piccolo, he's never been in battle before" Trust Krillin to stick up for Goku's kid. But he did have a point.

"He ruined our only chance, and to make things even worse its obvious that Vegeta is even stronger. If- and only if we actually beat Nappa, we don't need this kind of thing happening when we're battling Vegeta. It's a death wish for goodness sake"

I shook my head and trained my senses on the saiyans instead. The two were talking, and they made no effort to keep their words from us, drifting over on the carefree breeze of dust.

"So Vegeta, what was it we were going to wish for again? Because personally I think we should wish for Raditz back or something because Frieza is going to be fuming that there's only two of us left now. We didn't even get authorization from him to come here did we?" Vegeta's eyebrows knitted close together, as if this Frieza person was a problem.

Could there really be someone even more powerful than these saiyans? A quick glance at Piccolo and the others told me they hadn't heard. They were too busy pointing out Gohan's flaws.

"Look Nappa, we're here to wish for immortality. Once we have that, we have no need for that weakling Raditz and Frieza is not going to be a problem. Because once we're immortal Frieza can't stop us and it will be me, the prince of all saiyans who will rightfully rule over the galaxies" He spoke of it with such enthusiasm I almost thought he was going to salivate and get an erection over it. I thought Piccolo was bad, but Vegeta was right up there in the book of bad guys who were completely in over their head.

'Still want to sleep with him?'

'Of course, the whole bad guy thing just adds a bit of flavor that's all. It's not like I want to marry him or anything'

"You know guys, I'm getting worried about Goku. He should have been here by now" Krillin was shifting from foot to foot edgily, watching the sky as if it would rain down Goku's dead body.

"What's there to be worried about, he's in the world of dead people right? It's our lives we need to be worrying about" I pointed out.

"Lives that we won't have if he doesn't get here in time"

"Way to lighten things up Piccolo. Or have you forgotten there's a five year old kid here who also happens to be his son?"

"Maybe we should try to leave whilst we have the chance" Krillin looked hopefully towards the saiyans, where Vegeta was still lecturing Nappa on their immortality speech.

"There's no point, they'll kill us before we even make it of the ground" Piccolo folded his arms and nodded towards me. I understood what he meant. Krillin was bordering on hysterical now, and with each word Gohan panicked more.

"What will we do if he doesn't arrive!?" he panicked.

"Well that's obvious. We die" Piccolo kept a straight face.

"I'm too young to die! I haven't even had a girlfriend!" Gohan looked down at the ground, his legs trembling.

"Just shut up will you! How are we supposed to be strong and stick together if you can't even look on the positive side!"

"There is no positive side!"

"Can you all just shut up!" Piccolo roared. Vegeta and Nappa had stopped stopping talking and now had their eyes fixated on us.

Krillin gulped.

"I'm sorry mr Piccolo" Gohan apologized meekly, so quiet we almost missed his words.

Piccolo turned away, so that all Gohan got was his back.

"You should just go home kid. Since you can't do anything here. Your just getting in my way"

"Stop being so harsh on him!" Krillin protested. But the damage was done. Gohan scuffed the dust slightly with his black boots as he trod slowly away from us. His whole body was slumped, as if being useless was an effort in itself. Only a person without a heart could watch that without being touched.

"Oh Gohan; come back. Don't listen to him- he doesn't mean it" But he kept on walking.

"Look what you've done now Piccolo" I elbowed him in the ribs.

"Like I care" was his reply. The saiyans were watching Gohan carefully, and Nappa furrowed his brow before lobbing a blast of ki at the oblivious Gohan. It hit the mountain in front of him, causing Gohan to jump out of his skin.

"Don't even think about going anywhere kid. Your staying right here until we've sorted things out with your daddy"

"I only wanted to use the bathroom!"

"Too bad kid, you'll just have to wait"

"Yeah well, you smell!" Gohan yelled, close to tears before sprinting back to Piccolo. Sometimes he really was like a child.

"I do not smell!" Nappa exclaimed angrily, and the lightning crackled again. He was getting wound up over a child's petty insults. I resisted the temptation to facepalm.

Suddenly, the sound of a multitude of helicopters reached my ears. Looking up, my guess was right. Five helicopters with a gaggle of people and cameras inside were swooping low over us, attempting to catch the moment. I assumed this was the planet's equivalent of the press, not that i'd ever been famous enough on my own earth to ever see the press.

"Hey Vegeta, can I go have some fun whilst we wait for Kakarot to turn up?"

"Sure, knock yourself out" Nappa flew of within a second. The approaching press panicked and turned, attempting to out fly Nappa over the mountains. They were all gone within a minute, and we still had over two hours to kill. Luckily we weren't going to spend it killing innocent people; which was what Nappa had gone of to do.

Vegeta was still sat in the exact same position when Nappa got back two and a half hours later with a giant grin on his face. I was surprised he didn't have cramp. Nappa winked at me before slipping of his chest-plate armor with ease. Revealing a bulky torso with sweat beads.

"So, where's Kakarot then?" he inquired. His smile however suggested he already had the answer.

"He hasn't turned up huh? Shame, I was hoping for some action. I guess unlike you weaklings he took the safe option out of it"

"Goku isn't like that! He will get here, you'll see!"

"Krillin, it's no use. We need to come up with a new plan now and you being hysterical isn't going to help us" Piccolo was firm in his tone.

"Krillin, you'll distract him whilst I sneak up and grab his tail. It's then up to Lessa and Gohan to finish him of"

"That's your plan? Seriously?" He shot a dark look at me. I shrugged.

"Sorry, but your clearly desperate if that's all you can come up with"

"Well maybe I'm the only one here who's actually prepared to do anything so that we don't die. Since when do you give up hope so easily anyway"

"Oh I don't know, since death started staring me in the face" His lips twisted and his eyes flared. It was hard to resist pulling him down to the floor and then fucking him within an inch of his life. As if he'd read my mind, a sensual heat took place in his eyes and he had to look away.

"Piccolo, I can't do it" Gohan butted in, thankfully ruining the moment.

"Yes you can kid" For the first time Piccolo looked at him with sympathy.

"Do it for us"


	18. Chapter 17- An intervention

Chapter 17- An intervention

"Why don't you guys stop whispering over there and face me like a man" Nappa stood hands on hips, elated that Goku hadn't turned up after all.

Krillin scowled at him but otherwise did nothing. That didn't mean Nappa was going to give up so easily though.

"I can't believe I have to fight these cowards Vegeta, even a saiyan baby has more fight in them"

"Just finish them of quickly Nappa, but don't forget the green one needs to live"

"Oh that's it- I've had enough!" Krillin knotted his fists together before shooting forward on stubby legs, getting within seconds of Nappa's tail before a fist flew out of nowhere and sent him a starry-eyed view of the world.

Piccolo tried next, leaping into the air and clambering on him from above. Whilst he preoccupied himself with that, I skirted round, throwing out my hands as I came up behind. He threw Piccolo of just as my hands came to rest on his tail. I grasped the thick fur quickly. It was surprising warm, almost fluffy even.

As soon as his torso turned I knew something was wrong. Dread became bile in my throat as he flashed me the evilest of smiles.

He should be immobilized, the tail being their weakness.

"Lessa! Run! It doesn't work on them anymore!" Tell me something I don't know.

"Too late" Nappa informed me as his tail started to slide from my slippery grasp. And then a palm landed squarely between my eyes, knocking me straight to rocky dirt. Yellow dots danced in my view.

"Nice try, but we high-class saiyans have overcome our petty weakness" I couldn't see Vegeta, but I could imagine a smirk on those defined features of his. Even now, I would still like a piece of him.

"Well, she's out for the count, looks like the kid's next" Gohan squeaked but I didn't hear footsteps. The world was still swimming in a yellow hue. I felt the brush of energy as a huge stream of it flew past, almost burning my ears.

I closed my eyes, anticipating the worst when I heard Piccolo give a feral roar.

All of a sudden I knew what he was going to do.

If the kid wasn't going to move, then he would protect him. It was an unspoken agreement we had made many months ago.

Gohan snoozed happily by the dying fire, a leg or arm twitching every so often. As he usually did, Piccolo was watching him with a guarded expression. A charred piece of fish resting loosely in his firm hands.

"You care for that kid more than you let on" It wasn't a question. I was merely stating a fact. Piccolo knew better than to argue with my tone.

"Lessa, you have to promise me something" He made no effort to touch me, but emotionally we were closer than we had been all day.

"Depends on what it is" I was trying to make a joke out of it but I got a reproachful stare in return.

It was then I noticed his fingers were knotted around each other.

"I'm going to die soon, I can sense it" I opened my mouth but he raised his hand to stop me. "When I'm gone, I need you to promise me you'll protect Gohan..with your life. You're the only one I can trust to do this"

"Piccolo-" I shuffled closer, sharing my body heat with him; leaning my head on his shoulder as if I could give him comfort.

"You can't ask that of me. I'm not here for the long haul. I'm not even sure why I'm here in the first place" Yet I was. We both knew it was because I fancied the pants of of him.

"Lessa, I know that. But you and the kid, you mean more to me than you can imagine. You two are my only friends. I would easily give up my life for either of you, and when I'm gone, I need you to do the same for Gohan. Until the threat is gone. That's all. Then you can get back to your own life.

I need you to do this Lessa…for me" His hands came up either side of my face, tilting me so we were eye to eye. Sadness swam in those black cesspools. And it broke one of the shattered pieces of my heart inside me.

How could I refuse when it pained him so.

"Okay Piccolo. I'm only doing this for you" He nodded and leaned in tentatively, pressing those wondrously soft lips to mine. My pulse raced and my mind went giddy as we moved into a simple rhythm. I would not lose my purpose though, no matter how mind-blowing his kissing was.

He was not going to die. I would not allow it.

That promise I had made all those months ago. I had never once thought I wouldn't be able to keep it. I should have known really. Should have known it would turn out like this.

I pushed and pushed in the last few seconds, hearing the dust kick up as Piccolo's shoes tore through the dust to reach Gohan. My body refused to move, instinctively knowing Piccolo's prediction had been correct all these time.

Poison seemed to have spread through my body, dulling all my nerves to the point of un-moving. All these years, to have it show now..

A little girl was out cold on the bleak hospital bed, the yellow doctor doing his best to save her. As each instrument passed into her body, the seconds ticked away. Her death was imminent, but the instinct of all living things was ever-present. A death could not just be accepted unless you had no heart at all.

"Do something Cortex! You have to save her!" The orange furred creature seemed close to tears, wringing his hands over the girl's small body. Cortex shook his head.

"The poison has settled into her bloodstream. To remove it would kill her"

"But if we don't do something she'll die!" The other three spectators, two girls and a half human, half robot watched on, unwillingly to tell Crash that it was already over.

"Move out of the way doctor" A harsh female voice struck out from the shadows, a solitary scorpion scuttling away from whoever was inside it.

Crash's features twisted with pure hatred.

"Get that thing out of here! This is what caused this problem in the first place!"

"I know, and I will fix it" The female stepped from the darkness, revealing to all a sharp faced lean woman. She wore a torn black dress to compliment her tanned skin and red hair, but her face had too many lines to be pretty. She had the look of a miserable soul, one that had seen all the suffering of the universe and more. Her aura excluded high presence, a godly one to be in fact. She was no ordinary woman.

"My name is Serquet, goddess of the scorpions. Move aside and I will ease this child's suffering"

"Over my dead body! I won't let you kill her!"

"Who said I was going to kill her" She replied smoothly. Crash softened.

"Then what are you going to do with her" Serquet was silent for a moment, the folds of her black dress sweeping over the tiled floor as she slid over to the girl. A bony hand passed over the girl's forehead, resolve etched on the goddess's lines.

"Even I cannot remove the venom at these stage, but perhaps taking her body as host may help me to contain it..to a degree" The last part was a mere whisper. Crash looked unsure but Cortex nodded.

"Do whatever it takes, we owe her for saving Crash's life"

"You do understand there will be repercussions though don't you"

"Of course"

_Should I leave her body for more than thirty minutes she will die._

_Why would you give yourself up like that._

_It's.. a favor for a friend of mine. _

_Besides, we can't have the prophecy child dying now can we?_

Of course. It was obvious now. Serquet was using the poison, she was using it to control me.

'Correct, I will not have you intervening with fate. Even if you are the beloved prophecy child'

My heart burned with something other than venom. I would reply but only swear words would come and what good would that do.

And then, as if nothing had happened all went quiet. The fog cleared and I was only semi- aware as I sprang to my feet.

It was truly a horror scene. Nappa stood just meters from Vegeta, his lips sunk into a worrying 'O' Piccolo was still standing, but only just. His chest puffed in and out heavily, his face a grimace of pain. The remains of his tattered clothing were still steaming. As expected, Gohan was safe behind him, his hands shielding his face. He hadn't noticed yet, but he would.

"I did it" he mouthed- before crashing backwards on the ground. My mind was screaming no as I ran to him, every part of my body he had touched crying out in pain. Memories of everything we had done together flashed through my mind, even the bad times becoming good. I loved him like a best friend.

I couldn't accept I would lose him.

The tears streamed freely as I crouched beside him. Any other time his eyes would have been rolling upwards, or looking away. But now he watched me. Somewhere in my subconscious I heard Gohan sink down next to me; but the only thing important to me now was Piccolo.

I remembered a while ago I had wondered what it felt like to lose someone close to you. Yet now I never wanted to know. His hand shook, and slipped into mine. His strength ebbing as he squeezed.

"Don't cry Lessa..please" His eyes found Gohan beside me.

"Mr Piccolo, please don't die. I need you"

"No kid, you need your father- but I want you to know something. You and Lessa..you were the first friends I ever had. Gohan, you were like a son to me- I'm- I'm proud of you kid" Gohan sobbed openly as Piccolo neared death's door.

"How about one last kiss Lessa? For old times sake" Something of a smile appeared for just a moment. Under different circumstances I might have laughed, but instead I leaned in, gently pressing my lips to his. It tasted of sour apples, and a hint of salt as my tears slid down my face.

As I pulled away, his lips wordlessly whispered something that no one else would ever hear.

_I love you._

Sitting up, there were tears in his eyes too. Without warning, the light faded into nothing and I was left with a dead body and a broken soul.

A dam broke and the gushing water filled my ears.

I was only semi-aware as red-hot pain lanced through my nerves, slashing at my heart like samurai knives. The fire roared through my body and I shut down as my hands began to tear at something.

Revenge was the word that kept tearing through my brain, and it was the only thing that kept me standing. The fire in me was taking its revenge.

At some point I stilled, my eyes re-focusing on the destruction I had left behind. A broken and lifeless Nappa littered the dirt, and although revenge had been taken the fire did not die. It wasn't enough.

My eyes scanned the people, two small people that I vaguely knew to be innocent. Something else was controlling my mind, and I seethed silently as I found Vegeta.

"Your next" My lips tumbled out.

"No Lessa, he's mine"


	19. Chapter 18- Elite isn't everything

Chapter 18- Elite isn't everything

"He's here" Whispers grew louder and louder as I struggled to place the voice. There was no need though. The fire was gone, just a smoldering ember left behind. I was all too aware of the apparition in front of me.

He donned the same orange jumpsuit I had met him in, although there did seem something different about it. He was different too. Not in appearance, but in the aura he excluded. He was stronger- and confident in his strength.

And he had claimed Vegeta.

"Krillin, Gohan; I want you to go back to master roshi's. You'll be safe there" Gohan squirmed as if he would rather ask for a hug but something fierce in Goku's eyes advised him otherwise. He nodded and took of slowly, rising fifty centimeters in the air and stopping as he saw Krillin hadn't moved. Krillin avoided my eyes, instead staring into Goku's.

"I'm glad your back Goku" He turned and faced Gohan.

"The tail isn't their weakness by the way"

"Alright, thank you Krillin" Goku dismissed them with a shake of his hand and turned to eye up Vegeta.

"You should go to Lessa" I ignored him, a throbbing ache developing between my eyes.

My job was done now right? I'd protected Gohan by killing Nappa just like Piccolo asked. And Goku had claimed Vegeta for his own. Gohan was his son, surely Goku would protect him now.

At any rate he was certainly a lot stronger.

It just didn't feel like my job was done.

'But it is. And it was never your job in the first place'

'No, but it was a promise to someone I care about'

'And you've done your bit now. It's time you went and did your real job' Sometimes I wished I could just give my job to someone else. It's not like there was any hint of Marissa here anyway. Maybe Set had just sent me on a wild goose chase. Knowing I would make a prat of myself and fall for someone who; One- had been way out my league and would only admit he cared when he was about to die and Two- was another innocent person who I had no right to drag into my mess of a life.

Sometimes i wondered why I didn't just fall apart.

"I guess your Vegeta then huh?" Vegeta smiled wanly.

"And you must be Kakarot, Raditz talked about you a lot" Goku didn't return the smile.

"I can't imagine it was anything good" Vegeta raised himself from the rock without taking his eyes of Goku.

"You could say that"

"Yeah well, I don't think this is the best place for this" Vegeta crossed his arms and stretched each one carefully.

"And why not?" Pain seemed to strike Goku as his pupils grew thinner.

"Because the bodies of my friends are here" It was then I took a look around at what was really left. To my left was Chiatzu's white bobble hat, clutched in a death grip by Tien. Piccolo was in front of me by a good few metres, lying in the trench left by Nappa's ki. He looked as though he was sleeping after a really hard workout. Unfortunately I knew different. Last but not least was Yamcha who still lay in his crater with a saibamen hand for company. I'd almost forgotten about Yamcha. Nappa's broken body was somewhere here too; but he wasn't a friend or even anyone to care about. Not even Vegeta was moved by his loss.

"I suppose it is a bit trashy. Where do you suggest then?"

"Follow me" Was his only instruction.

I waited a full minute after the two of them blasted of through the sky before following. In order to complete my promise I would oversee the battle of the saiyans. Because if Goku did not win then it would once again fall on me to protect Gohan.

"I won't let you down Piccolo" I told the sky, bending and gathering a small patch of sand in my reddened palm. It was still the light of day, so there were no stars to wish on. In old traditions I heard some projected their wish onto sand and scattered it with the wind. Taking their wish to the sky.

_I wish that evil would be gone from this world.. _

The sand slid through my fingers as I thought my wish; the wind taking it to places I could not. My wish was in the hands of the goddesses and gods now.

Goku had known what he was doing when he suggested a different place. I followed for half an hour before the two of them landed in a barren wasteland. It was as far away from the civilization of this planet as you could get.

It was not a wasteland Piccolo had frequented, so there should have been no memories tied with this place. Yet the pain was still fresh, little splinters in my heart. Seeing the sort of place where Piccolo had isolated himself to his whole life- but where he had made his first friends and lover- it was breeding ground for sorrow.

Melanie and Serquet were silent. For once allowing me to wallow in my grief. It was the first time I had ever lost someone close to me. It was an entirely different type of heartbreak than the ones I had on earth.

I would give them thanks, but they already knew it. There was no privacy in being a host.

Gathering my senses after a few moments. I stayed high in the sky, flitting between mountain peak to plateau, finding a decent hiding spot where I could watch and not exert all my energy.

I chose a particularly average sized peak before settling myself around the crisp rock. It had plenty of tiny dents in where I could slot my fingers for extra grip.

Below me the two males straightened up tall on the ground, squaring their shoulders as they matched in stature.

"You know Kakarot, you and me. We could have it made. My brains and our brawn. We could rule the universes and you could everything you had ever dreamed of"

Goku snorted.

"I have everything I want on earth. People I love, a place to call home. What more could anyone want than that?" My respect for Goku went up tremendously. Someone of his power that didn't succumb to the want of power. Someone who wasn't even tempted for a second. It was rare- perhaps even impossible until now.

I suddenly thought. I had Cherry and friends at the airship. People I loved, and a place that with time could become my home. Was my desperate need for revenge wrong? Because for as long as I could tell myself it was because people needed me it wasn't.

"Very well. Don't say I didn't ask" Vegeta said snidely before flying at Goku with a barrage of fists and feet in the blink of an eye. In fact if I blinked I might have missed it. Goku returned everything he got without being fazed and the two were going at it in the air. The two were matched, relentless as they threw their weight into it. I knew I shouldn't be thinking it- it was dirty even; but if Vegeta had looked sexy before he was like a god now. Only the tiniest bit of sweat formed on his brow where his spiky black hairline receded. His muscles were so long and supple, and I could almost see those arms pinning me down and flexing as he-

'You can stop right there with the fantasies' A flush crept up my cheeks.

'Sorry, but I think you get my point'

It could have just been my favored view of Vegeta at that moment but it seemed as though he had the upper hand. He took everything Goku gave and seemed to return it stronger.

Vegeta pulled back, his clingy blue suit rippling as he rammed his fist forward. Goku dodged at the last second, leaving Vegeta with nothing but air.

The pause was only milliseconds and I took a short breath as they started again. I could almost run a commentary on the fight.

Vegeta gives Goku the classic fist in the gut but oh what's this? Goku has seemingly retired from the fight to gather some of that forsaken ki.

'Im gonna be honest here. I don't think commentating is your thing' Trust Serquet to have some sarky retort.

'Well why don't you try livening it up a little then? Oh wait- I forgot; you don't know the meaning on fun'

'Maybe I don't but it looks like Goku has just turned into a disco ball' Good point. I thought Goku's energy was blue but it just exploded into a ball of red.

"KAIOKEN!" Goku yelled before launching forwards at Vegeta.

'Why do people yell out their attacks round here' Maybe it makes them feel good- how should I know?

'How about orgasm beam?'

'How about shut the hell up' Vegeta disappeared only to turn up behind Goku. And then he slapped the red energy right out of him.

'Nice'

'Oh for gods sake, will you just shut up'

"You know Kakarot. I actually thought I was going to get a challenge out of you. This is the first time I've ever been wrong" Whoa, talk about ego.

Vegeta drifted of towards a rocky plateau, the sky darkening as he did so. Goku watched him with marked eyes. As soon as his feet touched rock he dug his boots into the plateau, him grinning wildly as his muscles strained. Veins popped up along the contours of his suit.

Two things hit me at once.

He was powering up.

He wasn't at full strength.

Blue lightning crackled in confirmation.

Could things really get any worse?


	20. Chapter 19- Testing the limit

Chapter 19- Testing the limit

These saiyans sure knew how to work up a storm, that was for sure. Aside from the blue lightning that had taken to wrapping itself round Vegeta; giving his eyes a strange blue glow- dusty rocks and pebbles were taking to the sky and mountains were literally falling at this monstrosity.

The earth shook in apprehension and cracked multiple times. All goku did was watch with calm eyes as woodland creatures and flocks of blackbirds alike could not escape fast enough. If that wasn't bad enough, I'd already had to switch mountains three times because each one kept crumbling.

Things had defiantly got worse to. I almost wished Piccolo hadn't taught me to sense ki because Vegeta's was an all-encompassing ball of fire that seemed to have no end to growing.

Goku was still calm though, and it was un-nerving. His energy was a small liquid like ball that was steadily rising too, although there seemed to be no outward strain on his body.

Perhaps staying here to watch was a bad idea. With two massive energies like these, there was no telling if anything living within two hundred miles of this place would be safe.

I wasn't scared, maybe a little worried but that didn't stop my body from shaking. Vegeta's eyes seemed to find something other than Goku and with that they turned a pure white. Vegeta screamed as though invisible bugs were tearing his flesh apart and a huge mass of energy rippled through the air, washing over Goku who struggled to stay upright.

The white light grew outwards of Vegeta's eyes until suddenly there was a blinding flash over the whole wasteland, burning my retinas. I sensed instead of saw Vegeta use the opening to charge Goku.

I felt Goku try to run blindly and then something else chasing him. As the blinding light faded along with Vegeta's screams, I could see small-ish balls of literal fire being thrown towards Goku. He dodged two before sticking his boots firmly in the dust, his blue energy hitting red again as he no doubt attempted kaioken.

Within seconds he hit it, but to my confusion he didn't stop. It just kept growing and growing until it became more fine-tuned. I could just imagine in my head Goku calling it kaioken times two or something like that.

It was a real shame Vegeta's aim wasn't atrocious and managed to hit one in Goku's chest, canceling out Goku's power up. All that for nothing.

Vegeta stopped, panting as Goku tucked both hands under the waistband of his orange jumpsuit. For a moment I almost thought he was going to strip but instead of pulling the whole thing of he slid the top half of only. It hit the ground with a dull thud as the weights inside it reassembled themselves. His energy loosened up a little in response.

I heard a muffled gasp from a few metres below, alerting me to the fact I wasn't the only onlooker.

Down on the ground, snuffling a packet of tortilla chips behind a sturdy looking rock was a very round guy. He had long black hair that was untamed and wore a tunic with a sword slung over the back of it. I had never seen this one before. What an earth was he doing here.

Oddly he seemed very interested in the ensuing fight, peering out to look every two or three chips.

Ignoring him I turned my eyes back to the saiyans. Surely once things truly heated up the fat man would scarper. Goku was attempting to power up again after the slight increase taking his top of had gave him. He had already hit what I called kaioken times two and seemed to still be going, fine-tuning it even more so that it seemed to almost be ripping his muscles apart from the inside. His curled lips and rabid eyes gave proof to the fact it was putting a massive strain on his body.

Just how far would these saiyans go exactly?

Vegeta tapped his foot almost impatiently in the dust, for some reason letting him power up. As the ground started steaming he let out a sigh.

Marking that Goku had just stepped things up a notch a huge wave of red energy blazed around him. His energy stopped peaking and instead he flew like a rocket at Vegeta. Vegeta wasn't fazed and as soon as Goku was in range he smacked him down forcefully into the ground.

Goku stood back up instantaneously and backhanded Vegeta into the nearest mountain, causing a massive crater to the inside.

All was still for a moment.

Only a moment though.

Vegeta roared animalisticly before smashing his way out of the mountain with his bare fists. His chest inflated and deflated heavily with rage. Goku wasted no time as he flew to meet him, ramming his fist into the gut of the armor. The amour may have stopped his fist actually going into his stomach but by the way Vegeta staggered backwards like a drunk it had done nothing to stop the force of the blow.

Vegeta swiped uselessly at the air beside Goku twice before Goku grabbed his hand, crushing it in his muscled palm. Vegeta screamed and disappeared, reappearing above Goku. The sneak of it failed as Goku spotted him instantly and used both fists above his head to knock Vegeta down to the earth where he lay broken on a rock. The red fire around Goku then died as if it knew its threat was downed.

From the way Vegeta groaned at his awkward twisted angle on the rock, at least three of his ribs must have been broken. And not to forget his hand with Goku had crushed to an inch of its life.

I would have flew to Goku to congratulate him but it seemed he had suffered his own losses as well. All that strain on his body had done something to his arm because Goku still stood but held his arm out straight and as loose as he could get it.

My guess was the strain had ripped apart the muscles. I couldn't imagine the pain.

But it wasn't over.

Vegeta somehow forced himself up of the rock, as his arms and legs were not broken. Something Goku should have foresaw. I had never in my life seen someone so angry, as he lay there with his pride in tatters.

Obviously he had never been beaten in a fight before, especially not by someone I was sure he would consider lower class scum. After all, hadn't he called himself the prince of all saiyans.

"You Kakarot- you are nothing but lower-class scum. If I can't destroy you then I'll destroy your precious planet, and I'll be damned if I don't make sure you go along with it" He winced as he spoke, rising a little higher into the air with each forsaken word.

He was planning to destroy the planet, and that meant Gohan along with it. And me as well. If I didn't stop him..i would fail in my promise.

But surely Goku wasn't going to just stand there and let it happen. He was still standing, surely he could stop him.

It was dangerous, but I would watch a little longer and wait. Goku had claimed Vegeta, and there was no point in me jumping in if Goku could handle it.

'I sure hope your right about that Lessa' Funny how I almost heard Piccolo say that instead of Melanie.

Goku only watched as Vegeta was lifted higher and higher, seemingly at the same height as the wispy clouds. He stopped and glared at Goku, his energy beginning to rise once again.

This time he placed both hands out in front of him, almost like Goku did when he powered up a Kamehameha. Worry flashed on Goku's face and he instantly copied, except he criss-crossed one hand over the other.

"Oh no you don't Kakarot. This shot is going to destroy your precious planet and you along with it. Nothing you have could possibly stop me now" Goku said nothing in response to his goading, only spiking his own energy further. Both energies hit a peak and blue and red burst out to meet each other halfway. One flew up, the other down.

They hit exactly in the middle, both pushing to counteract the other.

Vegeta was right though, his was miles stronger and it wasted no time in forcing down Goku's kamehameha down inch by inch.

"You want to know what I call this move Kakarot? I call it galick gun" Goku strained to keep his kamehameha going. His body turned red again and I realized what he was going to do. His body strained with that red fire as it hit one, two, three and four? His body seemed to be under a massive weight as Goku gritted his teeth, forcing the red fire into his kamehameha with devastating effects.

The massive increase in power made the galick gun like a newborn in comparison and it slammed into Vegeta, taking him and his energy right up into the sky.

The red fire didn't stop, and Vegeta couldn't escape. They continued on and on until they could no longer be seen.

Finally, it was over.


	21. Chapter 20- Painful reminders

Chapter 20- Painful reminders

As soon as Vegeta's body was gone I heard a raucous cheer from the fat man below me. I'd almost forgotten he was there I was so caught up in the moment. I looked downward, brushing a loose strand of long hair away so I could see. That was the disadvantage of having long hair. It always got in the way if you weren't looking dead ahead, and sometimes even then.

Fat man had decided it was all clear and was now scrambling his pork all over the loose rocks below in his hurry to get to Goku. Who was defiantly looking worse for wear even though the strain on his body was gone. He'd sunk to his knees and hands and his body was trembling. Not in fear, but because his muscles and nerves were fried.

Tilting his head up, he finally noticed the fat man.

"Yachrobi? What are you doing here?" So that was the fat mans name.

"I was watching you kick that saiyans butt. Man, you were awesome! Wait til I tell everyone I got to see it, there gonna be so jealous" Yachrobi scrabbled over the last rock to reach Goku and slapped a palm in the middle of his back.

"Congrats Goku" He said cheerfully, his look quickly turning worried as Goku let out a massive scream. His eyes creased as he seemed to comprehend the amount of physical stress Goku had just been under.

"Oh…sorry"

"That's..okay" Yachrobi smiled before pulling out another pack of tortilla chips from under his tunic. Jesus, how many did that guy have in there.

'Maybe it's not fat after all. Maybe he just has a shed-load of tortilla chips under there' I pondered it for a moment.

'Nope, that's defiantly fat. Anyone who eats two bumper bags of tortilla chips in a row defiantly has to be fat'

'Unless they have a freaky-ass metabolism'

'More like a black hole for a stomach'

'I'm gonna be honest here, who the hell cares?' Serquet cut in snidely.

'I do, if he's got tortilla chips under that tunic I want some' I had to stifle a chuckle at the thought of Melanie going and asking for a bag of tortilla chips of Yachrobi.

'Who said I would ask'

'He'd probably eat you instead'

'And can you imagine all the sweat that would be on the bag and maybe even inside it. It's not exactly a chilly day or anything'

'Um, Lessa. Your supposed to be doing something?' Oh right, Goku. Not that he'd moved. Yachrobi just stood in silence snaffling tortilla chips. He didn't even bother to offer one to Goku.

"You know, Vegeta will be back here any minute now right?"

"You what!?" Yachrobi gulped mid-chip and it stuck in his throat like a rather prominent adams apple. Ignoring that he immediately scooped up the tortilla chips he had dropped and scuttled back to the mountains I was on top of. Goku didn't look surprised.

'I wonder if he did that just to get back at Yachrobi for not offering him one'

'Maybe' But I wasn't so certain myself. The sky twinkled ominously as I surveyed it for signs of life. Vegeta had been blasted up, so by the laws of gravity he was due to come down.

'Logically' More to the point was, would he come down alive or dead. The wrong part of me hoped alive, but only because it was morally wrong to fuck a dead body. After all. No one wants to a necrophiliac. I wonder what Piccolo would say if he was here.

'Probably be trying to drag you behind a rock to celebrate'

'Serquet!'

'You don't deny it' I looked down at the ground in shame. Because honestly it was something Piccolo would have been likely to do.

On the other hand though, he had a really intuitive sense so nine times out of ten he wouldn't have rested til he saw Vegeta's body.

Strangely enough the air started whistling and then,

"CRACK!" My eyes instantly flew up to see the damage. Except there was no damage.

"You missed me Kakarot?" Vegeta goaded from the his new position halfway up the sky. So the cocky bastard was back. And apparently uninjured to boot. Wonderful. The cracking noise had been made by him smashing a boulder in midair to draw attention.

As his eyes turned from left to right, I almost thought he saw me. If he did, he said nothing and drifted back to the ground with crumbs of rock trickling out from between his fingers.

"You know Kakarot. You were defiantly more than I bargained for. But if you think I don't have a trick up my sleeve then you truly are the lower class scum of my race' He narrowed his eyes before jutting his chin upwards to the sky, his head turning in all directions. He seemed to be searching for something.

'In the sky?" Melanie said incredulously.

"Well that's where he's looking" He turned back to face Goku with a bemused expression.

"So you had the foresight to blow up the moon did you? It's too bad for you that it doesn't affect my plans in the slightest way" Goku struggled for a moment before rising up onto his feet. His eyes betrayed nothing. He had no idea what Vegeta was on about.

A sense of foreboding filled the air like it always did before something bad happened.

A saiyan, wanting the moon. What else could it mean?

Painful reminders for me that's what.

"I'm sorry Vegeta but I have no idea what your on about"

"Don't play fool with me Kakarot, we both know the secret to Ozaru's power" Goku's expression didn't change one iota.

"But I'm being serious" Doubt crossed Vegeta's mind. I had a sudden image of Piccolo destroying the moon. So many things had happened that night. Piccolo had agreed to train me. We'd held hands. And I had made myself a new friend.

Sorrow embedded itself deep in my heart, threatening to suck me in a black hole of despair. Oh how I wished I could go back to the good old days.

It felt like I was missing something as I sorted through the old memories. Something really important just kept slipping my mind.

"You really are just a human now aren't you Kakarot. As you so clearly fail to know, the moon contains a certain energy called bruit waves. Now to any normal human that means nothing, but for a saiyan, it means everything. Now as the moon passes through all of it's phases, its builds up these bruit waves. Once the moon becomes full, a saiyan can then look at it. A transaction occurs between our bodies and the moon, and some part of our DNA reacts to these bruit waves, causing a radical change within our bodies"

Suddenly, I didn't need to hear anymore. The missing piece had just announced it's arrival on my doorstep. The transformation happened to all saiyans, they all had the power to become great apes. Or not so great apes as it were.

Then again, Vegeta kept prattling on about the moon but he'd just said that Goku had destroyed the moon. Even though it had been Piccolo but at the end of the day it was the same result.

So by that logic Vegeta was unable to transform into a hideous ape. What a relief that was.

'Why, cause you wouldn't fancy him then would you' I scowled.

'It's not all about that you know'

'Maybe not but you sure do think about it enough' I rolled my eyes and glanced at Goku. He just stood there taking it all in.

"But there is no moon" He finally stated. Vegeta smiled widely.

"I know there isn't. But there will be" Wait, what?

Vegeta turned away from him in a flash and scooped a ball of energy in his palm.

"Take this Kakarot!" He exclaimed and hurled the ball of energy at the sky.

'I don't get what he means by that-" I started before I realized there was now a moon in the sky. This wasn't good. Not one bit.

"Now watch Kakarot, as I show you the true meaning of being a saiyan" He said proudly, puffing out his chest as thick dark hair began to spread over his face.

His armor bulged outwards as he steadily grew up and out. His features snarled and grew more stunted at the chin.

It was over in seconds and in his place stood a massive armor-clad ape.

'So..do you fancy him now?'

'No, no I do not'


End file.
